Ticketmaster regularly earns a spot on the naughty list thanks to its monopolistic practices, sky-high fees and frustrating user experiences. The platform took a major hit during Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour when it couldn’t handle the demand, leaving legions of fans disappointed and empty-handed. Consumers and regulators have been angered by service fees—often inflating ticket prices by over 30%. Moreover, dynamic pricing adds insult to injury, driving up prices as demand rises. For many, Ticketmaster has become synonymous with price gouging. As a result, public trust and brand equity have eroded and landed Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, under investigation by the DOJ for antitrust violations.

Even before its merger with Live Nation in 2010, many felt the company wielded too much power in the industry. With the merger of these two entertainment giants, concerns have only grown. Ticketmaster now controls over 70% of the ticketing and live events market, while Live Nation dominates much of the concert management and venue space. This vertically integrated near-monopoly makes it incredibly difficult for venues or artists to bypass Ticketmaster without facing potential retaliation from Live Nation, further solidifying their dominance.

In BAV’s syndicated brand study, overall equity for the Ticketmaster brand has fallen in recent years, with the brand now sitting low in the fatigued quadrant. It scores among the highest brands in culture on being seen as both ARROGANT and UNAPPROACHABLE. BRAND STRENGTH, a leading indicator of brand health, is particularly low, indicating that the brand is likely to continue its downward trajectory into the future.

If Ticketmaster wants to turn around its reputation, it will need to address both customer service and pricing practices before trust erodes beyond repair with artists, regulators, venues and consumers.

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Author: Jenna Rounds

With over 15 years in advertising, Jenna has crafted meaningful brand strategies, architected unique multi-channel campaigns and explored innovative new ways of bringing ideas to life. She has led planning for some of the world’s most renowned brands, including Proctor and Gamble, Dell, Campbell’s, Pfizer and Gillette. She’s adept at finding the intersection between the brand’s strategic goals and the audiences’ specific needs. She has a passion for understanding human behavior and is a strong believer in the power of brands.

She has an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BS from Lehigh University. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two children.

Connect with Jenna on LinkedIn.

Opinion Party (Vol 4): Naughty or Nice
This article is from the fourth volume of "Opinion Party" from BAV Group, a collection of points-of-view from our brand experts, focusing on exploring what it means to be a naughty or nice brand and which brands landed on which list this year.