WASHINGTON — Today, Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), called on New York lawmakers to reject proposed legislation that would impose price caps on the resale of live event tickets, warning that the measures would stifle competition in resale ticket markets and entrench the monopoly power of Live Nation-Ticketmaster—harming consumers and artists.
In a letter submitted to State Senator James Skoufis and Assembly Member Ron Kim, chairs of the Senate and Assembly committees overseeing ticketing policy, Moss outlined how Senate Bill S8221 and Assembly Bill A8659 would undermine competition in the resale ticket market and distort pricing dynamics, to the detriment of fans. She sharply criticized the legislation, stating that it “would serve as a regulatory gift to monopolists like Live Nation-Ticketmaster, which is currently the subject of a DOJ antitrust monopolization case, while stripping consumers of crucial market alternatives.”
“These bills fail to address the root causes of dysfunction in ticketing, namely Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s control over the primary ticketing market through, among other tools, exclusive contracts with venues,” said Moss. “Instead, they target the far more competitive resale market, effectively knee-capping the only meaningful competition the monopoly faces. That’s bad policy that ignores fundamental economics.”
Moss also warned that state-level price controls could interfere with the U.S. Department of Justice’s ongoing monopolization case against Live Nation-Ticketmaster, a case to which New York is a party.
“Lawmakers should not pass legislation that undercuts federal antitrust enforcement,” said Moss. “Now is the time to pause and let the legal process play out.”
Rather than pursuing invasive price controls, PPI’s letter urges lawmakers to focus on reforms that enhance transparency, ensure ticket transferability, and support competitive ticketing ecosystems that work for consumers, artists, and independent venues alike.
Read and download the letter here.
Founded in 1989, PPI is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Find an expert and learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Follow us @PPI.
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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe – iokeefe@ppionline.org
