A BBC investigation has unearthed potentially explosive allegations concerning Ticketmaster and its dealings with ticket touts in the UK. While the direct implications for South Africa are yet to be seen, the revelations raise serious questions about the ethics and legality of ticket resales globally, including within the South African entertainment industry.
The Heart of the Matter: Touts, Ticketmaster & a Possible Inside Job
The investigation centres on claims that Ticketmaster, through its secondary ticketing platforms GetMeIn! and Seatwave, allegedly facilitated the activities of prolific ticket touts who made millions by reselling tickets at inflated prices. Key findings include allegations that Ticketmaster offered these touts meetings with their top legal counsel to 'brainstorm' ways the company could assist them in navigating potential legal challenges related to ticket resales.
The report highlights the case of Peter Hunter, a ticket tout later jailed for fraud, who was allegedly invited to a meeting with Selina Emeny, Live Nation's International Group Counsel (Live Nation owns Ticketmaster). The purpose of the meeting, according to email evidence presented in court, was to address Hunter's concerns about changes in ticket resale laws and explore how the legal team could further assist UK brokers.
Judges' Concerns & Industry Complicity
Adding weight to these claims are the comments of two separate judges in fraud cases involving ticket touts. They both suggested possible 'connivance and collusion' between ticketing companies and touts. One judge, while sentencing Maria Chenery-Woods (the 'Ticket Queen'), raised concerns that some primary ticketing sites might have been 'complicit' in allowing touts to profit substantially from reselling tickets.
- Hunter's company reportedly generated £26.4 million in revenue over a seven-and-a-half-year period.
- Ticketmaster publicly claimed to be combating ticket touting while simultaneously owning resale platforms.
- Judges expressed concerns about potential collusion between ticketing companies and touts.
What does this mean for South Africa?
While these revelations are focused on the UK market, they have global implications. South African concert-goers are no strangers to inflated ticket prices and the challenges of securing tickets for popular events. The allegations against Ticketmaster raise serious questions about the transparency and fairness of the ticketing process in South Africa and whether similar practices might be occurring locally. Local authorities and consumer protection agencies may need to investigate whether South African ticketing platforms are engaging in practices that enable or encourage ticket touting.