History of Ticketmaster in Timeline

Ticketmaster is a major American ticket sales and distribution company, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, with a global presence. In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation, a concert promoter, to form Live Nation Entertainment. Both Ticketmaster and Live Nation brands continue to operate as subsidiaries under the Live Nation Entertainment umbrella. Ticketmaster's primary function involves facilitating the purchase and sale of tickets for events, concerts, and other live entertainment experiences on a large scale.

1976: Ticketmaster Founded in Phoenix

In 1976, Ticketmaster was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, by Peter Gadwa, Albert Leffler, Gordon Gunn III, and Jerry Nelson. Initially, the company licensed computer programs and sold hardware for ticketing systems.

1982: Fred Rosen Appointed CEO

In 1982, Fred Rosen was appointed CEO of Ticketmaster and relocated the company to Los Angeles, California, to be closer to the live entertainment industry.

1985: Expands Operations to Canada and Europe

By 1985, Ticketmaster had expanded its operations beyond the U.S. to include Canada and Europe, marking its growing international presence.

1991: Ticketmaster Acquires Ticketron

In 1991, Ticketmaster acquired its rival company, Ticketron, solidifying its position as the market leader in the ticketing industry.

November 1993: Paul Allen Acquires Stake in Ticketmaster

In November 1993, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen acquired an 80% stake in Ticketmaster for more than $325 million.

May 1994: Pearl Jam Files Complaint Against Ticketmaster

In May 1994, the band Pearl Jam filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice claiming Ticketmaster had cut the group out of venue bookings in a dispute over fees.

1994: Ticketmaster partners with WWE

In 1994, Ticketmaster partnered with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

1995: Investigation Closed Without Action

In 1995, the U.S. Department of Justice closed its investigation into Ticketmaster regarding Pearl Jam's complaint without taking action, though it stated it would continue to monitor the ticket industry.

1998: USA Networks Acquires Majority Stake and Merges with CitySearch

In 1998, USA Networks Inc., later named InterActiveCorp (IAC), purchased a majority stake in Ticketmaster. That same year, the company merged with CitySearch and was renamed Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch.

1999: Class Action Lawsuit Filed

In 1999, customers who purchased tickets online between 1999 and 2013 were affected by the class action lawsuit filed against Ticketmaster.

May 2000: Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch Acquires TicketWeb Inc.

In May 2000, Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch acquired TicketWeb Inc., a ticket vendor that sold tickets online and over the phone.

2000: Decline of Record Album Sales

After the year 2000, there was a collapse in record album sales, resulting in as of the 2020s, 95 percent of artist income comes from concert tours.

2003: IAC Repurchases Remaining Ticketmaster Stock

In 2003, IAC repurchased the remaining Ticketmaster stock that it had previously sold off.

2003: Class Action Lawsuit Filed

In 2003, a class action lawsuit was filed against Ticketmaster, alleging a lack of full disclosure regarding UPS and order processing fees for online ticket sales.

September 2006: Ticketmaster Lobbies for Ticket Resale Laws

In September 2006, Ticketmaster President Sean Moriarty stated that Ticketmaster had lobbied several states to enact laws that would limit the ticket resale market to authorized companies, aiming to reduce scalping and counterfeit tickets.

January 2008: Ticketmaster Acquires Paciolan, Getmein.com, and TicketsNow

In January 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Paciolan Inc., Getmein.com, and TicketsNow, expanding its reach in ticketing systems, secondary ticket marketplace in the UK, and ticket reselling in the US respectively. TicketsNow was acquired for $265 million.

2008: Ticketmaster and NFL TicketExchange Agreement

In 2008, Ticketmaster entered into an agreement with the National Football League (NFL) to manage its resale market on NFL TicketExchange.

2008: Ticketmaster Spun off by IAC and Acquires Front Line Management

In the summer of 2008, IAC spun off Ticketmaster as its own company. Later in 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Front Line Management, an artist management firm. Irving Azoff, Front Line CEO, became CEO of the new company, renamed Ticketmaster Entertainment.

February 2009: Agreement to Merge with Live Nation

In February 2009, Ticketmaster and Live Nation entered into an agreement to merge and form Live Nation Entertainment.

2009: Ticketmaster Calls for Legislation in Ontario and Bruce Springsteen Complaint

In 2009, Ticketmaster argued for legislation in Ontario to protect fans from scalpers. Also in 2009, Bruce Springsteen complained of a conflict of interest between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow, leading to an apology from Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff.

2009: Release of Digital Ticketing System

In 2009, Ticketmaster released a digital ticketing system that required customers to prove their identity prior to purchase. The company aimed to circumvent brokers and scalpers with this new system.

January 2010: Merger Cleared by U.S. Justice Department

In January 2010, the merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation was cleared by the U.S. Justice Department, subject to conditions including the sale of Paciolan and licensing of software to AEG. The new company was named Live Nation Entertainment.

2010: Ticketmaster Sues Insurance Carrier

In 2010, Ticketmaster filed a lawsuit against its liability insurance carrier, Illinois Union Insurance Company, for failing to aid in its defense in the 2003 class action lawsuit.

2010: Ticketmaster Merges With Live Nation

In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with concert promoter Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entertainment. Both Ticketmaster and Live Nation continued to operate as subsidiaries.

2010: Consent decree after Live Nation merger

In 2010, following the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the United States Department of Justice implemented a 10-year consent decree to prevent retaliation against venues partnering with competing ticketing firms.

2010: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ticketmaster

In January 24, 2023, a three-hour hearing was held by the Senate Judiciary Committee to analyze the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

May 2013: Agrees to Pay $23 Million for Rewards Program Enrollment

In May 2013, Ticketmaster agreed to pay up to $23 million for enrolling customers into a rewards program that charged $9 per month without adequate disclosure, resulting in customer refunds.

2013: Class Action Lawsuit Filed

In 2013, customers who purchased tickets online between 1999 and 2013 were affected by the class action lawsuit filed against Ticketmaster.

2013: The String Cheese Incident's Protest

In 2013, the band The String Cheese Incident gave fans money to purchase 400 tickets to one of its shows in order to resell them on its own site with fewer fees, protesting Ticketmaster's ticket fees.

2015: Acquires Front Gate Tickets, Universe, and Two Toasters

In 2015, Ticketmaster acquired Front Gate Tickets, Universe, and Two Toasters, expanding its services in music festival ticketing, DIY ticketing, and mobile app development, respectively.

2015: Settlement Approved and Vouchers Issued

In 2015, the settlement of the 2003 class action lawsuit was approved. Ticketmaster issued vouchers and discount codes to fans who purchased tickets online between 1999 and 2013.

2016: Fastest Growing Business

As of 2016, ticket resale was Ticketmaster's fastest growing business.

2016: Support for BOTS Act and Lawsuit Against Prestige Entertainment

In 2016, Ticketmaster released a statement in favor of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act). The company also filed a lawsuit against Prestige Entertainment for using bots to buy over 30,000 tickets to the Broadway play "Hamilton".

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2017: TicketWeb Acquires Strobe Labs

In 2017, TicketWeb, Ticketmaster's self-service ticketing platform, acquired Strobe Labs, a marketing platform that allows users to market to fans through social media.

2017: TicketExchange platform opened to third-party websites

In 2017, Ticketmaster announced it would open the TicketExchange platform to allow the sale and validation of tickets on third-party websites, including StubHub.

2017: Initial Report of Allegations Against Ticketmaster

In 2017, allegations first surfaced that Ticketmaster had illegally accessed the computer systems of a competitor. This led to a plea agreement in December 2020.

April 2018: DOJ Reviews AEG Complaints

In April 2018, the United States Department of Justice began reviewing complaints by AEG that claimed Ticketmaster had engaged in anti-competitive practices. As of April 2018, the Department of Justice had not released comments on its investigation.

June 2018: Ticketmaster Hack Notification

In June 2018, Ticketmaster notified 40,000 U.K. customers about a hack. This hack was caused by malicious software found on a third-party customer support product, leading to potential data compromise for customers who purchased tickets between February and June 2018.

September 2018: Report on TradeDesk Ticket Limit Violations

In September 2018, the Toronto Star reported that Ticketmaster was not enforcing ticket limit rules on its resale platform, TradeDesk. Ticketmaster denied the allegations.

2018: Ticketmaster Acquires UPGRADED

In 2018, Ticketmaster acquired UPGRADED, a company that converts physical tickets into digital ones using blockchain technology.

2018: Tickets sold for events

In 2018, Ticketmaster reported that it sold nearly 500 million tickets for 400,000 events.

June 2019: Ticketmaster Fined by Canada's Competition Bureau

In June 2019, Canada's Competition Bureau fined Ticketmaster $4.5 million for topping advertised costs by more than 20%, sometimes as much as 65%. Ticketmaster also signed a consent agreement to ensure its advertising policies abide by Canadian law.

July 2019: Report on Secret Ticket Transfers to Resale Sites

In July 2019, a report by Billboard revealed a strategy by Live Nation to place certain tickets directly on resale sites without offering them on the primary market. The company acknowledged facilitating the quiet transfer of tickets to resellers at the request of artists.

2019: Ticketmaster partners with AEW

In 2019, Ticketmaster partnered with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

2019: Start of Resale Fee Period

The period of 2019 to 2024 is part of the period where resellers scoop up tickets and sell them for a markup, while Ticketmaster reaped in $3.7 billion in resale fees.

November 2020: COVID-19 Vaccination Status Checks

In November 2020, Ticketmaster announced it would check the COVID-19 vaccination status of ticket buyers before issuing passes when live events return in 2021. Fans failing to verify their vaccination status or testing positive would be denied access to events.

December 2020: Ticketmaster Agrees to $10 Million Fine

In December 2020, Ticketmaster entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors and agreed to pay a $10 million fine after being charged with illegally accessing computer systems of a competitor. The allegations were first reported in 2017.

2020: Acquires Tixcraft (拓元售票)

In 2020, Ticketmaster acquired Tixcraft (拓元售票) in Taiwan, marking its entry into the Asian market.

2020: Department of Justice Fines Ticketmaster

In 2020, the Department of Justice fined Ticketmaster $3 million for violating a consent decree resulting from the Live Nation merger.

2020: DOJ Court Proceedings

In 2020, the Department of Justice planned to bring court proceedings against Ticketmaster for six violations to the provisions set in 2010. Live Nation agreed to a settlement that extended them an additional five years to 2025.

2020: Consent decree extension

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice brought court proceedings against Ticketmaster for six violations of the 2010 consent decree terms following the Live Nation merger. Ticketmaster agreed to a settlement that extended the provisions of the consent decree an additional five years, through 2025.

October 2022: Backlash Over Dynamic Pricing for Blink-182 Tour

In October 2022, Ticketmaster and Live Nation faced backlash for their dynamic pricing system and "platinum" tickets when tickets for Blink-182's 2023 tour went on sale, which saw fans criticizing high prices.

November 15, 2022: Ticketmaster's Website Crashes During Taylor Swift Presale

On November 15, 2022, Ticketmaster's official website crashed during the pre-sale of tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour (2023) due to unprecedented demand. The pre-sale was halted, and subsequent sales were rescheduled.

November 2022: Criticism of Taylor Swift Eras Tour Pre-Sale

In November 2022, widespread criticism arose over Ticketmaster's handling of the pre-sale for Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour", leading to scrutiny and subsequent investigations.

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November 18, 2022: Taylor Swift Releases Statement on Ticketmaster Issues

On November 18, 2022, Taylor Swift released a statement via her Instagram story, expressing her frustration with Ticketmaster's handling of the Eras Tour ticket sales and assuring fans that measures were being taken to resolve the issue.

December 9, 2022: Ticket Cancellations at Bad Bunny Concert in Mexico City

On December 9, 2022, at Bad Bunny's concert in Mexico City, a large number of tickets were cancelled, leading to criticism of Ticketmaster. Attendees were accused of having counterfeit tickets, and PROFECO ordered refunds and additional compensation.

December 26, 2022: Zach Bryan Criticizes Ticketmaster

On December 26, 2022, American country singer Zach Bryan criticized Ticketmaster for his Burn Burn Burn tour (2023) and listed out non-transferrable tickets to stop scalpers. He went on to release a live album, entitled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.

2022: Experimenting with Dynamic Pricing

In 2022, Ticketmaster was experimenting with a demand-based, dynamic pricing system which would vary the ticket price based upon demand.

January 2023: Senate Judiciary Committee Examines Live Nation Merger

In January 2023, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, following criticism of Ticketmaster's handling of the pre-sale for Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour".

January 24, 2023: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ticketmaster

On January 24, 2023, a three-hour hearing was held by the Senate Judiciary Committee to analyze the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Ticketmaster's representative was questioned on monopolistic practices, policies, and ticket costs.

March 2023: Robert Smith Criticizes Ticketmaster's Pricing Model

In March 2023, Robert Smith criticized Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing model and announced that The Cure would not allow dynamically-priced or platinum tickets for their upcoming North American tour. Ticketmaster later refunded a portion of the fees after Smith's outrage.

March 2023: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Ticketmaster by Drake Fans

In March 2023, fans of Canadian rapper Drake filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster in Quebec, alleging deception and fraud related to the It's All a Blur Tour ticket sales.

May 2023: Eurovision Song Contest Tickets Sell Out Quickly

In May 2023, for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, tickets sold out rapidly, leading to complaints about website crashes and high resale prices on third-party platforms.

2023: Robert Smith Confirms Artist Control Over Dynamic Pricing

In 2023, Robert Smith of The Cure confirmed that artists can choose to opt into Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing system, amidst controversy surrounding Oasis ticket sales.

2023: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

In 2023, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour pre-sale caused the Ticketmaster website to crash on November 15, 2022, due to unprecedented demand.

2023: Zach Bryan's Burn Burn Burn tour

In 2023, Zach Bryan criticized Ticketmaster for his Burn Burn Burn tour (2023) and listed out non-transferrable tickets to stop scalpers.

May 18, 2024: Data breach exposes customer information

On May 18, 2024, an unauthorized third party obtained information from a cloud database exposing personal information including payment-card details.

May 20, 2024: Ticketmaster Suffers Database Breach

On May 20, 2024, Ticketmaster experienced a breach of its database, which was hosted by Snowflake Inc., as part of a broader customer data breach affecting Snowflake. Investigation revealed that hackers had gained access to Ticketmaster's Snowflake database using credentials stolen from EPAM.

May 23, 2024: DOJ and States Launch Antitrust Suit

On May 23, 2024, the Department of Justice and a coalition of 29 states formally initiated an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, subsequently joined by 10 additional states, bringing the total to 40 co-plaintiffs.

September 2024: UK CMA Launches Investigation into Ticketmaster Over Oasis Concert Ticket Sales

On 5 September 2024, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over Oasis concert ticket sales. The CMA's investigation will include how dynamic pricing may have been used and will scrutinize whether the sale of tickets may have breached consumer protection law.

October 2024: Ticketmaster Customers Report Missing Tickets

In October 2024, Ticketmaster customers began reporting that tickets were being incorrectly removed from their accounts. Ticketmaster initially attributed the issue to hackers exploiting the ticket transfer feature.

November 2024: Missing Tickets Continue at Usher Concert

In November 2024, the issue of missing tickets persisted for fans attending an Usher concert, with refunds only being issued after complaints to the Better Business Bureau. Social media users questioned Ticketmaster's involvement in the scam.

2024: End of Resale Fee Period

By 2024, Ticketmaster had reaped in $3.7 billion in resale fees.

May 2025: Introduction of "All In Prices"

In May 2025, Ticketmaster announced it would start showing how much buyers paid for tickets—fees included—before checkout. The company announced the "All In Prices" initiative to comply with the Federal Trade Commission's ban on junk fees, which goes into effect on May 12th 2025.

September 2025: FTC Accusations of Resale Limit Violations

In September 2025, the United States Federal Trade Commission, joined by seven states, accused Ticketmaster and Live Nation of allowing ticket resellers to ignore purchasing limit set by artists.

2025: Extension of the Consent Decree

In 2020, The consent decree is extended through 2025 and is required to enforce its own compliance with the decree with a penalty of $1 million for any future violations.

2025: Criticism of Oasis Reunion Tour Ticket Sales

In 2025, Many fans criticised the sales process and prices for the Oasis 2025 reunion tour, noting hours-long queues or website crashes when attempting to buy tickets, with prices increasing due to Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing system.

2025: Consent Decree Extension Expires

In 2025, the extension to the consent decree against Ticketmaster is set to expire, marking the end of restrictions put in place to prevent anti-competitive practices.

2025: End of consent decree extension

The extended consent decree from the 2010 Live Nation merger is set to expire in 2025, marking the end of the additional five-year provision resulting from the 2020 settlement regarding decree violations.

January 2026: Canadian Class Action Lawsuit Certified

In January 2026, a Canadian class action lawsuit was certified by the Superior Court of Quebec, alleging that Ticketmaster's service fees were abusive and violated the province's Consumer Protection Act and Civil Code.