Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said Wednesday he has launched an investigation into Ticketmaster after complaints from Taylor Swift fans about issues they had trying to get tickets for her upcoming U.S. tour dates.
Ticketmaster said Tuesday in statements shared via Twitter that it was experiencing “intermittent issues” with its website due to “historically unprecedented demand” for tickets to Swift’s The Eras Tour. The company postponed sales on the U.S. west coast by three hours as it tried to resolve the situation.
Fans endured long waits, after which many found out they were not able to buy tickets.
“The ticket sale process did not go smoothly,” Skrmetti said at a press conference, adding that no specific allegations of wrongdoing have been made. “It’s my job to ensure that the consumer protection laws and antitrust laws in Tennessee are being honoured.”
Skrmetti noted that Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment dominate the concert industry.
“I’ve heard it may be up to 70 percent of the concert venue, ticket sales,” he said. “Anytime you have that kind of concentration of market share, there’s the risk that the lack of competition will not just drive up prices for consumers. It will also reduce the quality of the product and potentially this is a situation where the quality of the product is reduced.”
The U.S. Department of Justice investigated Ticketmaster in 1994 in response to a complaint from Pearl Jam but no action was taken against the company.
On Nov. 1, Swift announced the U.S. leg of The Eras Tour, which she described as “a journey through the musical eras of my career (past & present!).” It is scheduled to run from March 18 to Aug. 5.
Promoters are expected to add shows in some of the 20 cities before announcing international dates, including likely stops in Toronto and Vancouver.