Left-Wing Politicians: Run on Abolishing Ticketmaster
The recent Taylor Swift ticket fiasco is a good reminder: Ticketmaster is a horrible, price-gouging monopoly that everyone hates. Left-wing politicians should make abolishing Ticketmaster part of their platform.
Taylor Swift poses in the press room during the 2022 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 20, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Tommaso Boddi / WireImage)
On Tuesday, November 15, the presale for Taylor Swift’s latest tour began. Millions of fans attempted to secure a ticket for the tour, and in a matter of minutes, the presale descended into chaos. Outrage from disappointed Swifties ensued.
Almost immediately, thousands of people reported problems accessing the website for Ticketmaster, the giant ticket vendor responsible for the tour’s tickets. Tuesday’s sales weren’t even open to the public — it was a presale, with the main sale set to occur on Thursday. Due to the overwhelming popularity and botched rollout of the presales, however, Ticketmaster ran out of tickets during the presale and ended up canceling the sale for the general public.
It wasn’t long before high-profile politicians followed Swift’s fans in putting Ticketmaster in their crosshairs. Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, sent a letter to Ticketmaster, outlining their abuse of their position of power. Klobuchar wrote:
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