History of Ticketmaster in Timeline

Ticketmaster is a global ticket sales and distribution company, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. It operates internationally and plays a significant role in the entertainment industry. In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation, forming Live Nation Entertainment. The company's primary function is to facilitate the purchase and sale of tickets for various events, connecting consumers with venues and event organizers.

1976: Ticketmaster Founded

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

1982: Fred Rosen Appointed CEO and Company Relocation

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

1985: Expansion into Canada and Europe

By 1985, Ticketmaster had expanded its operations into the U.S., Canada, and Europe, marking a significant step in its global reach.

1991: Acquisition of Ticketron

In 1991, Ticketmaster acquired rival Ticketron, solidifying its position as 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, signaling a major investment in the company's future.

May 1994: Pearl Jam Files Complaint

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

1994: Ticketmaster Works with WWE

In 1994, Ticketmaster began working with wrestling promotions World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

1995: Investigation Closed Without Action

In 1995, the Department of Justice closed its investigation into Ticketmaster without taking action, though they stated they would continue monitoring developments in the ticket industry.

1998: Acquisition by USA Networks and Merger with CitySearch

In 1998, USA Networks Inc. (later InterActiveCorp) purchased a majority stake in Ticketmaster, and the company merged with CitySearch, renaming itself Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch.

1999: Class Action Lawsuit Covered Time Period Begins

In 1999, the class action lawsuit covered time period began. The case alleged that Ticketmaster did not fully disclose UPS and order processing fees added to tickets sold online between 1999 and 2013.

May 2000: Acquisition of TicketWeb Inc.

In May 2000, Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch acquired TicketWeb Inc., a ticket vendor specializing in online and phone ticket sales.

2000: Decline of Record Album Sales

As of the year 2000, the collapse of record album sales has led to 95% of artist income coming from concert tours as of the 2020s.

2003: IAC Repurchases Remaining Stock

In 2003, IAC repurchased the remaining Ticketmaster stock that it had previously sold off, regaining full control of the company.

2003: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Ticketmaster

In 2003, a class action lawsuit was filed against Ticketmaster, alleging that it did not fully disclose UPS and order processing fees added to tickets sold online.

September 2006: Lobbying for Ticket Resale Laws

In September 2006, Ticketmaster President Sean Moriarty stated that Ticketmaster had lobbied several states to enact laws limiting the ticket resale market to authorized companies to fight against corrupt scalpers and counterfeit tickets.

January 2008: Acquisitions of Paciolan, Getmein.com and TicketsNow

In January 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Paciolan Inc., a ticketing system developer, Getmein.com, a UK-based secondary ticket marketplace, and TicketsNow, a US ticket reseller for $265 million.

2008: 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.

2008: Spin-off and Acquisition of Front Line Management

In the summer of 2008, IAC spun off Ticketmaster as its own company. Later that year, Ticketmaster acquired Front Line Management, an artist management firm, and was renamed Ticketmaster Entertainment.

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: Advocacy for Legislation and Springsteen Complaint

In 2009, Ticketmaster advocated for legislation in Ontario to protect fans from scalpers. Also in 2009, Bruce Springsteen complained about a conflict of interest between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow, leading Ticketmaster to remove the TicketsNow link from Springsteen's concert listings.

2009: Digital Ticketing System Release

In 2009, Ticketmaster released a digital ticketing system requiring customers to prove their identity before purchasing tickets, intending to circumvent brokers and scalpers.

January 2010: Merger approved with conditions

In January 2010, the U.S. Justice Department cleared the Ticketmaster merger with Live Nation, conditional on selling Paciolan and licensing software to AEG, also including provisions preventing retaliation against venues using competing ticketing firms.

2010: Ticketmaster Sues Insurance Carrier

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

2010: Merger with Live Nation

In 2010, Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entertainment, combining ticketing services with event promotion and venue management.

2010: 10-year consent decree from Live Nation merger

In 2010, the United States Department of Justice placed Ticketmaster under a 10-year consent decree following the Live Nation merger due to anti-trust concerns.

2010: Consent Decree Governing the Merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation

In 2010, the consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation was analyzed at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee held on January 24, 2023.

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, from which Ticketmaster made $85 million in fees. 1.12 million customers were eligible to claim up to a $30 refund.

2013: The String Cheese Incident's Protest

In 2013, the band The String Cheese Incident protested Ticketmaster's fees by providing fans money to purchase 400 tickets to resell on their own site with lower fees, leading to a disagreement with Ticketmaster over revenue streams.

2013: Class Action Lawsuit Covered Time Period Ends

In 2013, the class action lawsuit covered time period ended. The case alleged that Ticketmaster did not fully disclose UPS and order processing fees added to tickets sold online between 1999 and 2013.

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

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

2015: Settlement Approved in Class Action Lawsuit

In 2015, the settlement was approved in the class action lawsuit filed against Ticketmaster in 2003, and 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 the 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 to buy large amounts of tickets online and resell them at inflated prices.

2017: TicketWeb Acquires Strobe Labs

In 2017, TicketWeb, Ticketmaster's self-service ticketing platform, acquired Strobe Labs, a marketing platform for social media fan engagement.

2017: Ticketmaster Opens TicketExchange Platform

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: Allegations of Hacking First Reported

In 2017, allegations were first reported that a former CrowdSurge top executive hired by Ticketmaster hacked into his former employer's database.

April 2018: Department of Justice Review of AEG Complaints

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

June 2018: Data Breach Notification

In June 2018, Ticketmaster notified 40,000 U.K. customers about a data breach caused by malicious software on a third-party customer support product, compromising customer data for purchases between February and June 2018.

September 2018: Report on Ticket Limit Enforcement and Lawsuit

In September 2018, the Toronto Star reported that Ticketmaster was not enforcing ticket limit rules on its resale platform, TradeDesk. One month later, a group of customers filed a class action lawsuit 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, showcasing its scale in the ticketing industry.

June 2019: Ticketmaster Fined by Canada's Competition Bureau

In June 2019, Canada's Competition Bureau fined Ticketmaster $4.5 million dollars for topping advertised costs by more than 20%, and sometimes as much as 65%.

July 2019: Billboard Report on Ticket Resale Strategy

In July 2019, a Billboard report revealed that Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company, had a strategy to secretly place tickets directly on resale sites without offering them on the primary market at face value.

2019: Ticketmaster Works with AEW

In 2019, Ticketmaster began working with wrestling promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

November 2020: COVID-19 Vaccination Status Checks Announced

In November 2020, Ticketmaster announced it would check the COVID-19 vaccination status of ticket buyers before issuing passes for live events when they returned in 2021.

December 2020: Ticketmaster Agrees to Pay $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.

2020: Acquisition of Tixcraft

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

2020: DOJ court proceedings

In 2020, the DOJ planned to bring court proceedings against Ticketmaster for six violations to provisions from the Live Nation merger, Live Nation agreed to a settlement that extended them an additional five years to 2025.

2020: Fine for Consent Decree Violation

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

2020: Consent decree extended

In 2020, the consent decree from the Live Nation merger was extended for an additional five years, set to last through 2025, due to violations.

2021: Implementation of Vaccination Status Checks

In 2021, Ticketmaster began implementing checks of COVID-19 vaccination status for ticket buyers before issuing passes, with denial of access for those failing to verify status or testing positive.

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

In October 2022, Ticketmaster and Live Nation faced backlash for their dynamic pricing system for Blink-182's 2023 tour, which saw fans criticize prices for random seats going for hundreds or thousands of dollars.

November 15, 2022: Ticketmaster Website Crashes During Taylor Swift Pre-Sale

On November 15, 2022, Ticketmaster's official website crashed on the first day of pre-sale tickets for the Eras Tour by Taylor Swift due to unprecedented demand, halting the pre-sale.

November 2022: Criticism of Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour pre-sale

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

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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 disappointment with Ticketmaster's handling of the Eras Tour ticket sales.

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

On December 9, 2022, during Bad Bunny's concert in Mexico City, a large number of tickets were cancelled, leading to criticism of Ticketmaster for denying entry to attendees with legitimate tickets.

December 26, 2022: Zach Bryan Criticizes Ticketmaster

On December 26, 2022, American country singer Zach Bryan criticized Ticketmaster for his Burn Burn Burn tour and listed out non-transferrable tickets to stop scalpers.

2022: Experimentation with Dynamic Pricing

In 2022, Ticketmaster began experimenting with demand-based dynamic pricing, which would vary ticket prices based upon demand.

January 2023: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee examined the merger

In January 2023, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, following complaints about the company's practices.

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 analyze the 2010 consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

March 2023: Robert Smith Criticizes Dynamic Pricing

In March 2023, Robert Smith criticized Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing model and announced that The Cure would not be allowing Ticketmaster to sell dynamically-priced tickets for the band's upcoming North American tour.

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 the Superior Court of Quebec, alleging intentional deception and fraud regarding ticket sales for the It's All a Blur Tour.

May 2023: Ticketmaster Partners with Eurovision Song Contest

In May 2023, for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the host broadcaster BBC partnered with Ticketmaster. Tickets sold out quickly and appeared on resale platforms for inflated prices.

2023: Zach Bryan's Burn Burn Burn Tour

In 2023, Zach Bryan's Burn Burn Burn tour was the subject of the artist's criticism of Ticketmaster, resulting in non-transferrable tickets to stop scalpers.

2023: Robert Smith's Stance on Dynamic Pricing Highlighted

In 2023, it has been confirmed that the dynamic pricing system used by Ticketmaster is something artists could choose to opt into, with artists such as Robert Smith of The Cure highlighting this in 2023.

2023: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in the US

In 2023, the presale of tickets for the US leg of the Eras Tour by Taylor Swift was held on Ticketmaster.

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, from Ticketmaster customers.

May 20, 2024: Ticketmaster Database Breached

On May 20, 2024, Ticketmaster's database, hosted by Snowflake Inc., suffered a breach as part of a larger Snowflake customer data breach. The hackers accessed the database using credentials stolen from EPAM.

May 23, 2024: Antitrust suit launched against Live Nation and Ticketmaster

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

August 2024: Oasis Announces Reunion Tour, Faces Criticism Over Ticket Sales

On 31 August 2024, Oasis announced a live reunion tour for 2025. However, many fans criticised the sales process and prices, with the website crashing, long queues, and prices changing from £135 to more than £350.

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

On 5 September 2024 the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it was launching an investigation into Ticketmaster over Oasis concert ticket sales.

October 2024: Ticketmaster Customers Report Incorrectly Removed Tickets

In October 2024, Ticketmaster customers began noticing tickets were being incorrectly removed from accounts. Ticketmaster initially blamed hackers exploiting the ticket transfer feature.

November 2024: Ticket Issues Continue at Usher Concert

In November 2024, the issue of tickets being incorrectly removed from accounts continued for fans attending an Usher concert. Refunds were only issued after complaints to the Better Business Bureau.

May 2025: Announcement of "All In Prices" Initiative

In May 2025, Ticketmaster announced it would start showing how much buyers paid for tickets—fees included—before checkout. This “All In Prices” initiative comes as part of efforts to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on junk fees, which goes into effect on May 12th 2025.