Over 250 prominent musicians, including Billie Eilish, Green Day, and Dave Matthews, have collectively endorsed the Fans First Act, a legislative proposal aimed at reforming the live-event ticketing system. Introduced and referred to the Senate Commerce Committee in December, the Fans First Act targets three key issues within the ticketing industry: enhancing ticket transparency, fortifying consumer protection measures, and curbing the ability of unscrupulous entities to charge exorbitant resale prices.
Organized by Fix the Tix, a coalition spearheaded by the National Independent Venue Association and Eventbrite, the endorsement letter was directed to Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Notable signatories include Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz, Lorde, Sia, Train, Fall Out Boy, Graham Nash, Becky G, and Chappell Roan.
The discontent towards the ticketing industry, particularly towards Ticketmaster, has intensified in recent years, culminating in a lawsuit filed against Ticketmaster in 2022 due to its inability to meet the demand for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. This incident prompted a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to scrutinize Ticketmaster’s dominant position in the industry.
In the letter, the artists collectively assert that the current ticketing system is flawed, enabling predatory resellers and secondary platforms to engage in deceptive practices that inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of fair access to live entertainment. Stephen Parker, Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Association, emphasized the urgency for comprehensive ticketing reform, emphasizing that all stakeholders in the live event ecosystem, including artists, venues, and fans, demand protection against predatory practices.
The Fans First Act proposes several measures to address these concerns, including mandatory disclosure of the total cost of tickets, including fees, by all ticket sellers and resellers. Additionally, the act seeks to strengthen the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016, which aims to prevent scalpers from using software to acquire large volumes of tickets, by further prohibiting the use of bots for ticket purchases.
The endorsement letter urges senators to support the Fans First Act, emphasizing that predatory resellers should not profit at the expense of artists and fans. Notably, the bill has garnered bipartisan support, with senators including John Cornyn (R-Texas), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) co-sponsoring the legislation.
Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has also expressed support for the bill, welcoming legislative efforts that bring positive reform to live event ticketing. However, it is noteworthy that Live Nation is anticipated to face an antitrust lawsuit from the Justice Department in the coming month.