Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
#26
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
This is just a fabulous article from The Ringer, both about the Ticketmaster outrage, the Taylor fiasco, and as a larger picture of the music industry as a whole. It’s long, but worth the read.
Is Live Music Broken? It’s Not Just Ticketmaster, It’s Everything.
#27
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
All irrelevant. People get upset when they don't score tickets. Not this, that, or the other. Figure out how to sell 3 million tickets for 1 million seats and problem solved. Until then people are going to have a grievance.
#28
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
Ticketmaster, which did not respond to a request for comment for this article, has provided a pretty straightforward defense of what went wrong. In a blog post that was temporarily deleted (and later edited and reposted) after Swifties swarmed it, the company said it believed that limiting the presale to “Verified Fans,” who had to receive a code ahead of time, would contain the demand to a reasonable amount. Instead, the post said, “the staggering number of bot attacks as well as fans who didn’t have invite codes drove unprecedented traffic on our site, resulting in 3.5 billion total system requests—4x our previous peak.” At an event that week, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino said, “We invited a million and a half on that day to come and buy those tickets, but it’s kind of like having a party. Everybody crashed that door at the same time with 3.5 billion requests.”
There is some legitimacy to the notion that any ticketing agency would have faced immense struggle in attempting to navigate the mind-boggling level of fame and popularity that Taylor Swift now has. (Her new album, Midnights, broke the record for largest overall week for any album; it took just four days for her to break the previous record, which was held by … her, for her 2017 album Reputation.) Dean Budnick, the Ticket Masters author, pointed out that Ticketmaster would have likely fared better if it had staggered the presale dates, instead of attempting to handle them all at once. Still, in a larger sense, the demand was unparalleled. “I’m not here to altogether defend Ticketmaster, I want to be clear,” Budnick said. “Get me going on service fees and you got me. But when it comes to this? I don’t know what they realistically could have done.”
There is some legitimacy to the notion that any ticketing agency would have faced immense struggle in attempting to navigate the mind-boggling level of fame and popularity that Taylor Swift now has. (Her new album, Midnights, broke the record for largest overall week for any album; it took just four days for her to break the previous record, which was held by … her, for her 2017 album Reputation.) Dean Budnick, the Ticket Masters author, pointed out that Ticketmaster would have likely fared better if it had staggered the presale dates, instead of attempting to handle them all at once. Still, in a larger sense, the demand was unparalleled. “I’m not here to altogether defend Ticketmaster, I want to be clear,” Budnick said. “Get me going on service fees and you got me. But when it comes to this? I don’t know what they realistically could have done.”
#29
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
Dean Budnick, the Ticket Masters author, pointed out that Ticketmaster would have likely fared better if it had staggered the presale dates, instead of attempting to handle them all at once.


#30
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
As I said, the best thing they could have done is gate-kept the online lobby to only those who had a valid pre-sale code. The fact that anybody or any Bot could wait in the lobby totally overwhelmed the system. If that lobby was limited to the million people who had a valid pre-sale code would have kept the system from crashing.
I am still amazed that I got phenomenal seats for the Vegas show within ten minutes of them going on sale for PSL owners. It was exactly the same time as the Capitol One sale, but maybe because I had a different link, I got very lucky
I am still amazed that I got phenomenal seats for the Vegas show within ten minutes of them going on sale for PSL owners. It was exactly the same time as the Capitol One sale, but maybe because I had a different link, I got very lucky
#31
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
What is the origin of the outrage? "I didn't get tickets". How much outrage is coming from people who got tickets but are furious over the price, service fee, system failures? Are people who got tickets suing?
I'm sorry, but in the Taylor Swift case, it comes off as more of an entitlement issue. People need to learn you don't get everything you want in life.
I'm sorry, but in the Taylor Swift case, it comes off as more of an entitlement issue. People need to learn you don't get everything you want in life.
#32
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
What is the origin of the outrage? "I didn't get tickets". How much outrage is coming from people who got tickets but are furious over the price, service fee, system failures? Are people who got tickets suing?
I'm sorry, but in the Taylor Swift case, it comes off as more of an entitlement issue. People need to learn you don't get everything you want in life.
I'm sorry, but in the Taylor Swift case, it comes off as more of an entitlement issue. People need to learn you don't get everything you want in life.
If they had limited the number of Fan Verified pre-sale codes to a reasonable number, and more importantly, if they made it so that only those with valid pre-sale codes could enter the waiting room, things would have gone a lot smoother and those with the codes would have had a fair chance to buy the tickets.
I know a lot about this because my daughter got a pre-order code, entered the lobby and waited five hours to get a chance to buy tickets. She ended up with very expensive VIP package seats, but we did get something at least.
One follow up note : There were apparently some unsold seats still after they cancelled the General sale. Those tickets were made available to certain people who were gifted pre-sale codes and couldn't get tickets. I think that was the only fair solution and I'm glad a few more fans got to buy tickets.
#33
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
Was it communicated by Swift or Ticketmaster that receiving a code would guarantee you tickets? I was under the impression it moved you up in line but still didn't guarantee you tickets. With a six ticket limit they would have had to limit codes to 333,000.
How fast were the pre codes gobbled up? If the number of precodes had been reasonably limited, and were gone real fast, wouldn't we still be where we are now with people upset about not getting a code?
I want to be fair here. But when I see videos of people crying over not getting tickets, like Ticketmaster killed their dog, I get the impression that there is absolutely nothing that would satisfy these people, outside of getting a ticket. No system would have been fair enough.
How fast were the pre codes gobbled up? If the number of precodes had been reasonably limited, and were gone real fast, wouldn't we still be where we are now with people upset about not getting a code?
I want to be fair here. But when I see videos of people crying over not getting tickets, like Ticketmaster killed their dog, I get the impression that there is absolutely nothing that would satisfy these people, outside of getting a ticket. No system would have been fair enough.
Last edited by rw2516; 12-29-22 at 05:20 PM.
#34
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
Was it communicated by Swift or Ticketmaster that receiving a code would guarantee you tickets? I was under the impression it moved you up in line but still didn't guarantee you tickets. With a six ticket limit they would have had to limit codes to 333,000.
How fast were the pre codes gobbled up? If the number of precodes had been reasonably limited, and were gone real fast, wouldn't we still be where we are now with people upset about not getting a code?
How fast were the pre codes gobbled up? If the number of precodes had been reasonably limited, and were gone real fast, wouldn't we still be where we are now with people upset about not getting a code?
No there wasn't a guaranty that the code would get you tickets, but it's a limited code with access to pre-sale. So it wasn't unreasonable to expect to be able to get a shot at tickets, considering how relatively few were sent out (at least compared to the number of applecants)
Per Ticketmaster's post :
TICKETS TO TAYLOR’S TOUR
- By requiring registrations, Verified Fan is designed to help manage high demand shows – identifying real humans and weeding out bots. Keeping bots out of queues and avoiding overcrowding helps to make wait times shorter and onsales smoother.
- Based on fan interest at registration we knew this would be big. Over 3.5 million people pre-registered for TaylorSwiftTix Presale powered by Verified Fan, which is the largest registration in history.
- Historically, around 40% of invited fans actually show up and buy tickets, and most purchase an average of 3 tickets. Around 1.5 million people were sent codes to join the onsale for all 52 show dates, including the 47 sold by Ticketmaster.
- The remaining 2 million Verified Fans were placed on a waiting list on the small chance that tickets might still be available after those who received codes had shopped.
#35
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Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
Ticketmaster hearing kicked off about 20 minutes ago:
Live updates: Ticketing industry testifies after Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift concert debacle (cnn.com)
Live updates: Ticketing industry testifies after Ticketmaster's Taylor Swift concert debacle (cnn.com)
#36
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
Read some recaps of the hearing today. It's hilarious to me that Live Nation basically says there is nothing they can do about bots and scalpers. I think anyone with an ounce of tech savvy could come up with some ideas. And they also say that ticketing is super competitive right now, which I can't believe is something Live Nation actually said on the record.
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[email protected] (01-24-23)
#37
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
I saw a compilation of Senators doing Taylor Swift lyric-based puns. It was painful
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Toby Dramit (01-24-23)
#39
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
#40
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ticketmaster--where's the outrage?
While TM certainly sucks as is a near-monopoly, the issue isn't just them, you know - it's the whole system that is rotten, right down to many of the performers and their agents and promoters.