Overview
- New York senator James Skoufis is introducing amendments to cap concert resale prices at the original face value, inclusive of fees, while also banning speculative listings.
- California’s AB 1720 would limit resale of concert, theater, and comedy tickets to 110% of face value and currently excludes sporting events.
- AB 1720 has backing from NIVA, NIVA CA, and the Music Artists Coalition, with supporters arguing caps would reduce predatory markups and empty-seat attrition.
- California’s separate bill AB 1349 targets speculative sales by requiring possession of tickets before listing and raising the maximum civil penalty per violation to $10,000.
- Live Nation, facing DOJ and FTC lawsuits it disputes, supports AB 1720 as a curb on predatory resale, while critics warn price caps could undercut resale competition and empower dominant primary sellers.