History of Ticketmaster in Timeline

Ticketmaster is an American ticket sales and distribution company, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, operating globally. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation, a major events and concert promoter, to form Live Nation Entertainment. Despite the merger, the Ticketmaster brand continues to operate as a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment, focusing on its core business of ticket sales and distribution.

1976: Ticketmaster Founded

In 1976, Ticketmaster was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, by Peter Gadwa, Albert Leffler, Gordon Gunn III, and Jerry Nelson. Its first ticketed concert was Electric Light Orchestra at the University of New Mexico.

1982: Fred Rosen Appointed CEO

In 1982, Fred Rosen was appointed CEO of Ticketmaster and moved the company to Los Angeles.

1985: Operations Expand to Canada and Europe

By 1985, Ticketmaster had expanded its operations to include the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

1991: Acquisition of Ticketron

In 1991, Ticketmaster acquired its rival Ticketron, becoming the market leader in the ticketing industry.

November 1993: Paul Allen Acquires Stake

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

In May 1994, Pearl Jam filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice alleging that Ticketmaster had cut the group out of venue bookings due to a dispute over fees.

1994: Ticketmaster partnership with WWE

In 1994, Ticketmaster started working with wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

1995: Investigation Closed Without Action

In 1995, the Department of Justice closed the investigation into Ticketmaster after the Pearl Jam complaint without taking any action.

1998: USA Networks Inc. Purchases Majority Stake

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

1999: Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Impacts Purchases Back to 1999

In 1999, Ticketmaster class action lawsuit resulted in vouchers and discount codes for fans who purchased tickets online between 1999 and 2013.

May 2000: Acquisition of TicketWeb Inc.

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

2000: The Collapse of Record Album Sales

After the year 2000, the collapse of record album sales meant that as of the 2020s, 95 percent of artist income came from concert tours.

2003: IAC Repurchases Remaining Stock

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

2003: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Ticketmaster

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

September 2006: Lobbying for Ticket Resale Laws

In September 2006, Ticketmaster President Sean Moriarty stated that Ticketmaster had lobbied several states to enact laws to limit the ticket resale market to authorized companies.

January 2008: Acquisitions in Ticketing and Resale

In January 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Paciolan Inc., Getmein.com (UK based secondary ticket marketplace), and TicketsNow (US ticket reseller).

2008: Spin-off and Acquisition of Front Line Management

In 2008, IAC spun off Ticketmaster as its own company. Later that year, Ticketmaster acquired Front Line Management, renaming the new company Ticketmaster Entertainment.

2008: Ticketmaster Agreement with the NFL

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

February 2009: Agreement to Merge with Live Nation

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

2009: Debate on Ticket Resale and Conflict of Interest

In 2009, Ticketmaster argued for legislation in Ontario to protect fans from scalpers, while Bruce Springsteen complained about a conflict of interest between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow. Irving Azoff apologized and removed the TicketsNow link.

2009: Release of Digital Ticketing System

In 2009, Ticketmaster released a digital ticketing system that required customers to prove their identity prior to purchase, aimed at circumventing brokers and scalpers.

January 2010: Merger Approved with Conditions

In January 2010, the U.S. Justice Department cleared the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, with conditions including selling Paciolan and licensing software to AEG.

2010: Ticketmaster Sues Insurance Carrier Over Lawsuit Defense

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

2010: Merger with Live Nation

In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with concert promoter Live Nation, forming Live Nation Entertainment. Both brand names continued as subsidiaries.

2010: Consent Decree from Live Nation Merger

In 2010, Ticketmaster was subject to a 10-year consent decree following the Live Nation merger, scrutinized by the Department of Justice for potential violations.

2010: Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on 2010 consent decree

In 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee examined the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

May 2013: Settlement 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 proper consent.

2013: Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Impacts Purchases up to 2013

In 2013, Ticketmaster class action lawsuit resulted in vouchers and discount codes for fans who purchased tickets online between 1999 and 2013.

2013: The String Cheese Incident Protests Ticketmaster's Fees

In 2013, the band The String Cheese Incident gave fans money to buy tickets to their show and resell them with fewer fees to protest Ticketmaster's practices.

2015: Acquisitions of Front Gate Tickets, Universe, and Two Toasters

In 2015, Ticketmaster acquired Front Gate Tickets, Universe, a DIY ticketing platform, and Two Toasters, a mobile app developer.

2015: Settlement Approved in Class Action Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster

In 2015, the settlement was approved in the class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster, resulting in vouchers and discount codes for fans who purchased tickets online between 1999 and 2013.

2016: Ticket Resale as Fastest Growing Business

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

2016: Support for BOTS Act

In 2016, Ticketmaster released a statement in favor of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act (BOTS Act), which banned the use of ticket bots. The following year they filed a lawsuit against a ticket broker.

2017: TicketWeb Acquires Strobe Labs

In 2017, TicketWeb, Ticketmaster's self-service ticketing platform, acquired Strobe Labs, a marketing platform.

2017: Ticketmaster opens TicketExchange platform 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. Ticketmaster has also partnered with the United States Tennis Association, Tennis Canada, and the PGA Tour.

2017: Allegations of Ticketmaster Hacking Competitor's Systems

In 2017, a former CrowdSurge executive, hired by Ticketmaster, allegedly hacked his former employer's database.

April 2018: DOJ Reviews Anti-Competitive Practices

In April 2018, the United States Department of Justice began reviewing complaints by AEG that claimed Ticketmaster had engaged in anti-competitive practices. No comments were released by the Department of Justice regarding the investigation.

June 2018: Ticketmaster Notifies UK Customers of Data Breach

In June 2018, Ticketmaster notified 40,000 U.K. customers about a hack caused by malicious software on a third-party customer support product. Customers who purchased tickets between February and June 2018 may have had their data compromised.

September 2018: Allegations of Non-Enforcement of Ticket Limits

In September 2018, the Toronto Star reported that Ticketmaster was not enforcing ticket limit rules on its resale platform, TradeDesk. One month later, a class action lawsuit was filed against Ticketmaster.

2018: Acquisition of UPGRADED

In 2018, Ticketmaster acquired UPGRADED, a company which converts physical tickets into digital ones, utilising blockchain.

2018: Tickets Sold in 2018

In 2018, Ticketmaster reported nearly 500 million tickets sold 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 (USD $3.44 million) as part of a settlement. It was discovered that Ticketmaster's advertised costs exceeded actual costs by more than 20%, sometimes reaching 65%. In addition to the fine, Ticketmaster agreed to ensure its advertising policies comply with Canadian law.

July 2019: Live Nation's Secret Ticket Resale Strategy Revealed

In July 2019, Billboard revealed that Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company, had a strategy to place certain tickets directly on resale sites, bypassing the primary market and preventing fans from buying them at face value. The company admitted to facilitating the transfer of tickets to resellers at the request of artists.

2019: Ticketmaster Reaped in Billions in Resale Fees

In 2019, Ticketmaster began reaping in billions from resale fees.

2019: Ticketmaster partnership with AEW

In 2019, Ticketmaster started working with wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

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 for live events, which was set to be implemented in 2021.

December 2020: Ticketmaster Fined $10 Million for Hacking Competitor's Systems

In December 2020, Ticketmaster agreed to pay a $10 million fine after being charged with illegally accessing a competitor's computer systems. According to the FBI, Ticketmaster used stolen information to gain an advantage and promoted employees who broke the law. These allegations were initially reported in 2017.

2020: Consent Decree Extended

In 2020, The United States Department of Justice extended Ticketmaster's consent decree for an additional five years through 2025, due to violations from the Live Nation merger.

2020: Acquisition of Tixcraft

In 2020, Ticketmaster acquired Taiwan's Tixcraft (拓元售票) to enter the Asian market.

2020: Fine for Consent Decree Violation

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

2020: DOJ Court Proceedings Against Ticketmaster

In 2020, the DOJ planned court proceedings against Ticketmaster for violations; a settlement extended provisions to 2025.

2021: Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccination Checks

In 2021, Ticketmaster implemented COVID-19 vaccination status checks for ticket buyers before issuing passes to live events, as announced in November 2020.

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. Fans criticized the exorbitant prices for random seats, with some tickets costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.

November 15, 2022: Ticketmaster Website Crashes During Taylor Swift Eras Tour Presale

On November 15, 2022, during the presale for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, Ticketmaster's website crashed due to unprecedented demand, halting the sale. Users experienced being logged out, long queues, and frozen screens. Ticketmaster stated they were working to fix the issues and rescheduled the remaining sales.

November 2022: Criticism of Taylor Swift Presale

In November 2022, widespread criticism of Ticketmaster's handling of the pre-sale for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour led to a Department of Justice investigation.

Loading Video...

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

On November 18, 2022, Taylor Swift released a statement on her Instagram story regarding the Ticketmaster issues, expressing her protectiveness of her fans and disappointment with Ticketmaster's handling of the Eras Tour ticket sales. She stated she had been assured Ticketmaster could handle the demand and was taking steps to resolve the situation.

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

On December 9, 2022, at Bad Bunny's World's Hottest Tour concert in Mexico City, a large number of tickets were canceled, affecting many attendees. Ticketmaster faced criticism for accusing attendees of having counterfeit tickets, despite proof of payment. PROFECO requested a report from Ticketmaster Mexico and urged affected consumers to file complaints. Ticketmaster Mexico apologized and offered refunds, attributing the issues to an unprecedented number of fake tickets.

December 26, 2022: Zach Bryan Criticizes Ticketmaster, Announces Non-Transferrable Tickets

On December 26, 2022, American country singer Zach Bryan criticized Ticketmaster for his Burn Burn Burn tour (2023) and announced non-transferrable tickets to combat scalpers. He subsequently released a live album, "All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster".

2022: Experimentation with Dynamic Pricing

In 2022, Ticketmaster was experimenting with a demand-based, dynamic pricing model to vary ticket prices based on demand.

January 2023: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

In January 2023, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee examined the merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation, following the criticism of the Taylor Swift presale.

January 24, 2023: Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on Ticketmaster and Live Nation

On January 24, 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a three-hour hearing titled "That's the Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment" to examine the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Senators questioned Ticketmaster's CFO, Joe Berchtold, about monopolistic practices, ticket costs, transparency, and the handling of bots. Witnesses included Jerry Mickelson (JAM Creative Productions) and Jack Groetzinger (SeatGeek).

March 2023: Robert Smith Criticizes Ticketmaster's Dynamic Pricing, The Cure Announces Fixed-Price Tickets

In March 2023, Robert Smith of The Cure criticized Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing model and announced that The Cure would not use dynamically-priced or platinum tickets for their North American tour. Smith priced tickets as low as $20, but Ticketmaster's fees inflated the total cost. After Smith voiced his disapproval, Ticketmaster refunded a portion of the fees.

March 2023: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Ticketmaster Over Drake Tour Ticket Sales

In March 2023, fans of Canadian rapper Drake filed a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster in Quebec, alleging intentional deception and fraud. The lawsuit claims Ticketmaster concealed information about additional show dates for the It's All a Blur Tour (Drake and 21 Savage) to drive demand and inflate ticket prices. The suit seeks $300 in punitive damages per customer and compensatory damages.

May 2023: Ticketmaster Partners with Eurovision, Faces Website Crashes and Resale Issues

For the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool in May 2023, the EBU and BBC partnered with Ticketmaster. The Ticketmaster website experienced crashes before the ticket booking platform went live. Tickets for the final sold out in 36 minutes. Subsequently, tickets appeared on third-party resale platforms like Viagogo at inflated prices, with general admission tickets originally priced at £380 being sold for up to £11,800.

2023: Zach Bryan's Burn Burn Burn tour

In 2023, American country singer Zach Bryan held his Burn Burn Burn tour.

2023: Robert Smith Confirms Artists Opt-In to Dynamic Pricing

In 2023, Robert Smith of The Cure confirmed that artists can choose to opt into Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing system.

2023: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

In 2023, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was a major event.

May 2024: Antitrust Lawsuit

In May 2024, A lawsuit was launched to include nearly both the U.S. Justice Department and nearly 40 states as plantiffs against Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster.

May 18, 2024: Unauthorized Third Party Breaches Ticketmaster Cloud Database

Between April 2 and May 18, 2024, an unauthorized third party accessed a cloud database hosted by a third-party data services provider, exposing personal and payment information. Ticketmaster identified affected customers on May 23, 2024, but only notified them in a June 22 letter.

May 20, 2024: Ticketmaster Suffers Data Breach via Snowflake Incident

On May 20, 2024, Ticketmaster experienced a data breach from its database hosted by Snowflake Inc., as part of a broader Snowflake customer data breach. Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company, disclosed the breach on May 31. Investigations revealed that hackers accessed Ticketmaster's Snowflake database using stolen credentials from EPAM, a third-party business process outsourcing firm.

May 23, 2024: Antitrust Lawsuit Launched

On May 23, 2024, the Department of Justice and a coalition of states formally launched an antitrust suit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

September 2024: UK CMA Investigates Ticketmaster Over Oasis Concert Ticket Sales

On 5 September 2024, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced an investigation into Ticketmaster regarding Oasis concert ticket sales. The investigation will focus on the use of dynamic pricing and whether it breached consumer protection laws, including unfair commercial practices and clear communication about dynamic pricing to consumers.

October 2024: Ticketmaster acknowledges "hackers" taking advantage of ticket transfer feature

In October 2024, Ticketmaster released a statement indicating that affected customers were "victims of hackers" exploiting the ticket transfer feature, after thousands of customers noticed tickets were being incorrectly removed from their accounts. However, Ticketmaster did not replace missing tickets or suspend the ticket transfer feature pending investigation.

November 2024: Usher concert ticket issues and refunds after BBB complaints

In November 2024, the ticket issue continued for fans attending an Usher concert, with tickets only being refunded after fans complained to the Better Business Bureau. Due to Ticketmaster's lack of information and action, social media users and fans questioned if the organization was in on the scam itself.

2024: Ticketmaster Reaped in Billions in Resale Fees

In 2024, Ticketmaster 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 as part of its efforts to comply with the Federal Trade Commission's ban on junk fees.

September 2025: FTC Accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation of Allowing Ticket Reseller Abuse

In September 2025, the United States Federal Trade Commission, along with seven states, accused Ticketmaster and Live Nation of allowing ticket resellers to ignore purchasing limits set by artists. This allegedly allowed resellers to acquire tickets and sell them at inflated prices, with Ticketmaster profiting from resale fees.

2025: Consent Decree Extended Through 2025

In 2025, The Ticketmaster consent decree, resulting from the Live Nation merger, is required to enforce its own compliance with the decree with a penalty of $1 million for any future violations.

2025: Oasis Reunion Tour Ticket Sales Face Criticism

In 2025, Ticket sales for the Oasis reunion tour were criticized, with reports of long queues, website crashes, and price increases due to dynamic pricing. Oasis stated that they leave ticketing and pricing decisions to promoters and management and were unaware of dynamic pricing.

2025: Extension of Provisions Ends

In 2025, the extended provisions preventing Ticketmaster from retaliating against venues that partnered with competing ticketing firms are set to expire, which were extended due to violations in 2020.

2025: End of Extended Consent Decree

Ticketmaster's extended consent decree from the 2010 Live Nation merger is scheduled to end in 2025, concluding the additional five-year period added in 2020 due to violations.

January 2026: Canadian Class Action Lawsuit Certified Against Ticketmaster

In January 2026, the Superior Court of Quebec certified a Canadian class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster. The lawsuit alleges that Ticketmaster's service fees are abusive and violate the province's Consumer Protection Act and Civil Code by varying based on the ticket price rather than the actual cost of providing the service.

April 15, 2026: Jury Finds Live Nation Entertainment Held an Illegal Monopoly

On April 15, 2026, a jury found that Live Nation Entertainment in fact was able to use an illegal monopoly to enable Ticketmaster to overcharge in ticket prices.

April 2026: Jury Finds Live Nation Entertainment Held an Illegal Monopoly

In April 2026, a jury found that Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation Entertainment held an illegal monopoly which violated federal and state anti-trust laws and enabled Ticketmaster to overcharge in ticket prices.