The UK’s competition regulator has threatened to take Ticketmaster to court over its pricing practices during the sale of more than 900,000 tickets in 2024 for the 2025 Oasis reunion.
The Competition and Markets Authority wrote a letter on Wednesday (July 2) to the Business and Trade Select Committee, saying it has now “discharged its obligation to consult with Ticketmaster” as “no undertakings have been offered or agreed.”
The CMA launched an investigation in September 2024 to scrutinize “whether the sale of Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection law.”
Following “a thorough investigation,” the regulator said it has found that Ticketmaster sold “Platinum” tickets at nearly 2.5 times standard prices without explaining they offered no additional benefits beyond regular seats.
The regulator also determined the company failed to inform fans about two tiers of standing tickets at different prices, leaving many in lengthy online queues unaware they would face higher-than-expected costs.
However, the letter said: “The CMA did not find evidence that Ticketmaster used an algorithmic pricing model to adjust ticket prices in real time according to changing conditions like high demand.”
“[G]iven that no undertakings have been offered or agreed, [the CMA] is now preparing to litigate the matter if necessary.”
UK Competition and Markets Authority
The algorithmic pricing cited by the CMA refers to Ticketmaster‘s dynamic pricing model that saw some tickets sold in the UK more than doubling in price, with rates surging from around £150 to £355.
Due to the ticketing fiasco in the UK, Oasis decided not to use Ticketmaster‘s dynamic pricing model for its North American tour dates. Oasis said in October: “It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate and thus more affordable.”
“But, when unprecedented ticket demand (where the entire tour could be sold many times over at the moment tickets go on sale) is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, it becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.”
In March, the CMA provided a progress update on its probe. At the time, the regulator said Ticketmaster has made changes to “some aspects” of its ticket sales process. However, the CMA said it “does not currently consider these changes are sufficient to address its concerns.”
“Having carefully considered Ticketmaster’s response, the CMA’s view is that there is fundamental disagreement between the CMA and Ticketmaster about whether Ticketmaster’s practices infringed consumer law.”
UK Competition and Markets Authority
Most recently, the regulator said Ticketmaster provided its response on June 16. However, the watchdog said: “Having carefully considered Ticketmaster’s response, the CMA’s view is that there is fundamental disagreement between the CMA and Ticketmaster about whether Ticketmaster’s practices infringed consumer law.”
It added: “Ticketmaster has declined to provide undertakings in the terms sought by the CMA or indicate whether there is a form of undertakings which it would be prepared to offer.”
As a result, the CMA said it has notified Ticketmaster that it “has now discharged its obligation to consult” with the ticketing giant.
“[G]iven that no undertakings have been offered or agreed, [the CMA] is now preparing to litigate the matter if necessary,” it said. However, the watchdog indicated that it would continue to engage with Ticketmaster “in an effort to secure a voluntary resolution.”
MBW has reached out to Ticketmaster for comment.
The Oasis Live ’25 Tour is set to begin on Friday, July 4, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.Music Business Worldwide
