The UK government has today launched a public consultation setting out a range of measures to tackle unfair ticket resale practices to better protect fans, improve access to live events and support the growth of the UK’s world leading live events sector.
Ticketmaster has long led the way in championing fan-friendly resale policies, implementing a face-value resale cap on our platform since 2018. We welcome the UK government’s announcement, a positive step for fans and the live events industry.
Ticketmaster continues to lead the fight against bots and speculative ticket sales, ensuring fans have the best chance to access tickets fairly. Every day, we block an average of 200 million bots worldwide, backed by a $100 million annual investment in advanced bot defence systems. We support all actions that will strengthen enforcement, making it even harder for bots to disrupt fans’ access to live events.
We also maintain a zero-tolerance policy against speculative selling, by allowing only verified tickets to be resold on our platform. This protects fans from fraudulent listings and guarantees a smooth, trustworthy ticket-buying experience.
As Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy emphasised, action is needed to “stop fans getting ripped off and ensure money spent on tickets goes back into our incredible live events sector, instead of into the pockets of greedy touts.”
At Ticketmaster we remain committed to addressing these issues and supporting the government’s efforts. Our full response to the consultation can be seen below.
Statement from Ticketmaster UK:
“Ticketmaster is committed to making ticketing simple and transparent. Since 2018, our resale has been capped at face value, providing fans a safe place to sell tickets they can’t use at the original price set by artists and event organisers.
“We support proposals to introduce an industry-wide resale price cap. We also urge the government to crack down on bots and ban speculative ticket sales.
“Ticketmaster welcomes any action to protect fans and give them the best chance of getting tickets to the events they love.”
