Tennessee AG investigating Taylor Swift ticket chaos

Tennessee Lawyer Normal Jonathan Skrmetti launched an antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster after clients reported widespread points buying tickets in a presale occasion for an upcoming Taylor Swift tour.

Skrmetti stated at a Wednesday press convention that there have been no allegations to make right now, however he was involved with the reported points.

“We acquired various complaints and there’s been vital press protection that the ticket sale course of didn’t go easily,” the legal professional basic stated, in keeping with ABC affiliate station WATE, which is owned by Nexstar (Nexstar additionally owns The Hill).

“It’s my job to make sure that the patron safety legal guidelines and antitrust legal guidelines in Tennessee are being honored,” Skrmetti added.

The Ticketmaster web site crashed or froze for a lot of customers on Tuesday as clients flocked to purchase tickets for Swift’s upcoming “The Eras Tour,” which is the singer’s first since 2018.

Following the complaints, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) known as for the break-up of Ticketmaster and Reside Nation, which merged in 2010 to develop into Reside Nation Leisure and now dominates the venue and ticket sale enterprise for dwell music.

“Day by day reminder that Ticketmaster is a monopoly,” the lawmaker tweeted.

In a Tuesday update, Ticketmaster stated there was an “traditionally unprecedented demand” for the Swift tickets and that it was working to maneuver by means of queues as quick as attainable. The corporate added that lots of of hundreds of ticket purchases had been accomplished.

Skrmetti stated he was launching the antitrust investigation as a result of Tennessee, the birthplace of nation music, is a big music market.

The legal professional basic additionally famous that Reside Nation Leisure dominates about 70 p.c of the dwell music trade, in keeping with WATE.

“Anytime you will have that type of focus of market share, there’s the danger that the shortage of competitors won’t simply drive up costs for customers,” he stated, “it’s going to additionally scale back the standard of the product.”