California Bill to Cap Concert Resale Ticket Prices Fails After Lobbying Efforts

A legislative initiative in California designed to regulate the aftermarket pricing of concert tickets has been defeated. Assembly Bill 1720, which sought to impose limits on how much tickets could be resold for, did not progress beyond the Senate appropriations committee.

Introduced by assembly member Matt Haney, AB 1720 initially proposed a cap on resale prices, allowing them to be no more than 10 percent above the original face value. While the bill was later amended to apply only to smaller venues with capacities of 3,000 or fewer, it still represented an effort to curb excessive markups by secondary ticket sellers. The proposal garnered backing from several music industry organizations, including the National Independent Venue Association and Live Nation, all advocating for measures to combat ticket scalping. However, it encountered strong opposition from resale platforms, with StubHub reportedly spending a significant amount on lobbying efforts in California to defeat the bill.

Despite this setback, proponents of the bill remain committed to finding solutions to address the issue of inflated ticket prices in the secondary market. Haney emphasized the broad support for such regulations, citing artists across different genres and independent venues, as well as similar legislation passed in other states and countries. The ongoing debate highlights the complex challenges in balancing consumer access to live events with the interests of various stakeholders in the ticketing ecosystem.

The failure of this bill underscores the persistent struggle to implement effective policies that protect consumers from predatory pricing practices in the live entertainment industry. It highlights the need for continued dialogue and collaboration among policymakers, artists, venues, and fans to foster a fair and accessible ticketing environment for everyone.