History of Ticketmaster in Timeline

Ticketmaster is a major American ticket sales and distribution company, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, with global operations. It merged with Live Nation in 2010, forming Live Nation Entertainment. Ticketmaster's primary function is to facilitate the purchase and sale of tickets for live events, including concerts, sports games, and theater performances. It has faced scrutiny regarding its fees and market dominance. The merger with Live Nation created a vertically integrated entertainment giant, controlling aspects of event promotion, venue management, and ticketing.

1976: Ticketmaster Founded

In 1976, Ticketmaster was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, by college staffers Peter Gadwa, Albert Leffler, Gordon Gunn III, and businessman Jerry Nelson.

1982: Fred Rosen Appointed CEO

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

1985: Ticketmaster Expands to Canada and Europe

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

1991: Ticketmaster Acquires Ticketron

In 1991, Ticketmaster acquired rival Ticketron, solidifying its position as the market leader.

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 grunge 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: Partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

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

1995: Investigation Closed Without Action

In 1995, the U.S. Department of Justice closed its investigation of Ticketmaster without action, but stated it would continue to monitor the ticket industry.

1998: USA Networks Acquires Stake and Merger 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: Start of Class Action Eligibility

In 1999, fans who purchased tickets online from this year until 2013 became eligible for vouchers and discount codes as part of the settlement for a class action lawsuit that was filed against Ticketmaster in 2003.

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, the collapse of record album sales led to a situation where, by the 2020s, 95 percent of artist income came 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 added to online ticket purchases.

September 2006: Ticketmaster Lobbiesto Limit Resale Market

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

January 2008: Ticketmaster Acquisitions

In January 2008, Ticketmaster acquired Paciolan Inc., Getmein.com and TicketsNow.

2008: Agreement with NFL to Manage Resale Market

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 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, renaming itself Ticketmaster Entertainment.

February 2009: Ticketmaster Enters 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: Ticketmaster Releases Digital Ticketing System

In 2009, Ticketmaster released a digital ticketing system designed to require customers to prove their identity before purchasing tickets, in an attempt to circumvent brokers and scalpers.

2009: Complaint from Bruce Springsteen

In 2009, musician Bruce Springsteen complained of a conflict of interest between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow after fans were directed to TicketsNow once tickets to his concert sold out on Ticketmaster.com.

January 2010: Merger Approved with Conditions

In January 2010, the U.S. Justice Department cleared the merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation under the condition that the company sell Paciolan and license its software to AEG.

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 Live Nation to form Live Nation Entertainment, a company operating in ticket sales and distribution.

2010: Ticketmaster Faces Scrutiny and Consent Decree

In 2010, the United States Department of Justice scrutinized Ticketmaster for retaliation against venues violating its 10-year consent decree from the Live Nation merger.

2010: Merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation

In 2010, the long-simmering dissatisfaction over the consent decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation was analyzed at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

May 2013: Ticketmaster to Pay 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, with 1.12 million customers eligible to claim up to a $30 refund.

2013: End of Class Action Eligibility

In 2013, fans who purchased tickets online until this year from 1999 became eligible for vouchers and discount codes as part of the settlement for a class action lawsuit that was filed against Ticketmaster in 2003.

2013: The String Cheese Incident Protests Ticketmaster Fees

In 2013, the jam 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: Ticketmaster Acquires Front Gate Tickets, Universe, and Two Toasters

In 2015, Ticketmaster acquired Front Gate Tickets, Universe, and Two Toasters, expanding its services.

2015: Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Approved

In 2015, the settlement of the class action lawsuit that had been filed against Ticketmaster in 2003 was approved. As part of the settlement, Ticketmaster issued vouchers and discount codes to 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: Ticketmaster Supports 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.

2017: Opening 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.

2017: Allegations of Hacking Competitor's Database

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

April 2018: DOJ Reviewing Complaints by AEG

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

June 2018: Data Breach Notification

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

September 2018: Report on Ticketmaster Resale Platform

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

2018: Ticketmaster Acquires UPGRADED

In 2018, Ticketmaster acquired UPGRADED, a company focused on converting physical tickets into digital ones using blockchain.

2018: Ticket Sales Volume in 2018

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

June 2019: Fine by Canada's Competition Bureau

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

July 2019: Report on Secret Ticket Transfer

In July 2019, a report by Billboard revealed a strategy by Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company, to secretly bypass placing certain tickets for sale on the primary market and instead, place them directly on resale sites.

2019: Partnership with All Elite Wrestling (AEW)

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

November 2020: 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.

December 2020: $10 Million Fine for Illegally Accessing Competitor's Computer Systems

In December 2020, Ticketmaster agreed to pay a $10 million fine after being charged with illegally accessing a competitor's computer systems.

2020: Ticketmaster Acquires Tixcraft

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

2020: Consent Decree Extended

In 2020, Ticketmaster's consent decree from the Live Nation merger was extended for an additional five years, lasting through 2025, due to violations.

2020: DOJ Planned Court Proceedings

In 2020, the DOJ planned to bring court proceedings against Live Nation for six violations, resulting in a settlement extending provisions to 2025.

2020: Ticketmaster Fined 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.

2021: Implementation of Vaccination Checks

In 2021, Ticketmaster began checking COVID-19 vaccination status of ticket buyers before issuing passes for live events.

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

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

November 15, 2022: Ticketmaster Website Crash During Taylor Swift Presale

On November 15, 2022, Ticketmaster's website crashed during the pre-sale of tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour due to unprecedented demand. The servers were unable to handle the traffic, leading to users being logged out or stuck in long, frozen queues.

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

In November 2022, Ticketmaster faced widespread criticism regarding the handling of the pre-sale for Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour".

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November 18, 2022: Taylor Swift's Statement on Ticketmaster Issues

On November 18, 2022, Taylor Swift released a statement addressing the Ticketmaster issues during her tour's pre-sale, expressing her disappointment and assuring fans that measures were being taken to resolve the problems.

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

On December 9, 2022, a large number of tickets were cancelled at Bad Bunny's concert in Mexico City, leading to criticism of Ticketmaster for denying entry to attendees accused of having counterfeit tickets. Ticketmaster Mexico apologized and offered refunds.

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.

2022: Experimenting with Dynamic Pricing

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

January 2023: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Examined the Live Nation and Ticketmaster Merger

In January 2023, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

January 24, 2023: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ticketmaster

On January 24, 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to analyze concerns over the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, during which senators questioned Ticketmaster's CFO, Joe Berchtold, about the company's practices.

March 2023: Robert Smith Criticizes Dynamic Pricing

In March 2023, Robert Smith of The Cure criticized Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing model and prohibited its use for the band's upcoming North American tour, later leading to Ticketmaster refunding a portion of the fees to purchasers after Smith expressed his outrage.

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

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

May 2023: Ticketmaster Issues for Eurovision Song Contest Tickets

In May 2023, Ticketmaster experienced website crashes and complaints during the sale of tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, with tickets later appearing on resale platforms at inflated prices.

2023: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

In 2023, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour experienced issues during pre-sale on November 15, 2022 due to unprecedented demand, which led to a Ticketmaster website crash.

2023: Zach Bryan's Burn Burn Burn tour

In 2023, Zach Bryan listed out non-transferrable tickets to stop scalpers for his Burn Burn Burn tour. Bryan criticized Ticketmaster on December 26, 2022.

2023: Dynamic pricing system used by Ticketmaster

In 2023, 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.

May 18, 2024: Unauthorized Third Party Data Breach

On May 18, 2024, an unauthorized third party gained access to a cloud database hosted by a third-party data services provider, exposing personal information and payment-card details of Ticketmaster customers.

May 20, 2024: Ticketmaster Database Breach

On May 20, 2024, Ticketmaster experienced a database breach through Snowflake Inc. as part of a larger mass customer data breach.

May 23, 2024: DOJ and States Launch Antitrust Suit

On May 23, 2024, the Department of Justice and a coalition of 29 states formally launched an antitrust suit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, with an additional 10 states joining later, bringing the total to 40 co-plaintiffs.

August 2024: Criticism of Oasis Reunion Tour Ticket Sales and Prices

On 31 August 2024, after Oasis announced their live reunion tour for 2025, fans criticized the sales process and prices, reporting issues such as long queues, website crashes, and fluctuating ticket prices.

September 2024: UK Competition and Markets Authority Investigation into Ticketmaster

On 5 September 2024, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over Oasis concert ticket sales, scrutinizing dynamic pricing and potential consumer protection law breaches.

October 2024: Ticketmaster's Initial Response to Tickets Missing From Accounts

In October 2024, Ticketmaster indicated that affected customers were "victims of hackers" taking advantage of the platform's ticket transfer feature, after customers began noticing tickets were being incorrectly removed from accounts.

November 2024: Continued Issues with Tickets Missing and Lack of Action by Ticketmaster

In November 2024, the issue of tickets missing from accounts continued for fans attending an Usher concert, with refunds only being provided after complaints to the Better Business Bureau, leading to questions about Ticketmaster's involvement in the scam.

May 2025: Ticketmaster Announced "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 as part of its efforts to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on junk fees, which goes into effect on May 12th 2025.

2025: Consent Decree Extension End

In 2025, the consent decree between Ticketmaster and the Department of Justice is set to expire.

2025: End of Extended Consent Decree

In 2025, the extended consent decree, resulting from the Live Nation merger, is set to expire, marking the end of the additional five-year period added due to violations.