Ticketmaster agrees to improve fee transparency amid CMA pressure

(Sharecast News) - Ticketing business Ticketmaster has pledged to improve price transparency following widespread criticism over the cost of tickets to Oasis' reunion tour. The Competition and Markets Authority said Ticketmaster had agreed to tell fans 24 hours in advance if a tiered pricing system would be used and vowed to introduce clearer breakdowns of fees and charges after fans complained about inflated prices and a lack of upfront clarity.

"Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront," said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell. "If Ticketmaster fails to deliver on these changes, we won't hesitate to take further action."

The move comes amid growing scrutiny of ticketing practices across the live entertainment industry, as both regulators and consumer groups in the UK and the US continued to examine competition and consumer protection in the sector.

Ticketmaster promised to roll out changes aimed at "enhancing transparency and trust", including itemised pricing and clearer communication during the purchase process.

Sales of tickets to Oasis' hotly anticipated reunion tour last year saw fans paying hundreds of pounds more than they had expected, with many expressing outrage over allegations that Ticketmaster had used "dynamic pricing" - where ticket prices rise and fall according to demand.

However, the CMA said it had "not found evidence" that such an algorithmic pricing system had been used to adjust the price of Oasis tickets in real time. Oasis even went so far as to claim dynamic pricing had not been used, issuing a statement that they had not agreed to the practice in advance.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com