In the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver explains why concert tickets are so expensive, why the artists aren't getting their fair share, and why Ticketmaster is one of the "most-hated companies on earth."
Here's why Ticketmaster is terrible:
- Charges "nasty fees" that "come as a surprise at the end of a transaction," which are sometimes more the cost of the ticket itself
- "Strong arms venues" into using its service
- "Retaliates against or threatens venues that did not use its services"
- Makes exclusive contracts with venues so artists can't perform unless they sell tickets through Ticketmaster
- Keeps a large percentage of tickets for credit card companies
- Makes it easy for professional ticket broker bots to buy most of the tickets, which are scalped at inflated prices (including Ticketmaster's own secondary market)