Big Ticket Comes for the Big Apple
Don't Let Monopoly Power Steal the Show: New York Must Amend A8659/S8221 to Truly Protect Fans
New York has long been a standard-bearer in ticketing law — a beacon for fans who just want a fair shot at seeing their favorite teams, artists, and events without jumping through rigged hoops or getting price-gouged by Big Ticket. Now, the Legislature is considering A8659/S8221, a bill that could take things to the next level — if they fix some major flaws that hand even more power to monopolies like Live Nation/Ticketmaster.
We’re all in for more transparency, stronger refund rules, and protecting season ticket holders. That’s solid work. But this bill, as written, also opens a dangerous backdoor that could let the monopoly cartel lock out fans from fair resale and deepen its grip on live events.
In a letter sent to the bill sponsors, the National Consumers League and SFC urged lawmakers to amend the bill. Let’s break down why lawmakers must act now to amend this bill — or risk killing the fan experience as we know it.
Let Fans Control Their Tickets, Not the Monopolies
Here's the biggest red flag: the bill allows artists or their agents to decide whether resale above face value is permitted. That might sound harmless but remember, many of these agents are directly tied to Ticketmaster. It’s a trap.
This kind of price control sets the stage for abuse. With tools like “SafeTix,” Ticketmaster can block transfers, force resale through its own platforms, collect your data, squash any chance of marketplace competition, and pick winners and losers on the secondary market. That’s not fan-friendly, that’s ticketing feudalism.
We don’t let Nike tell you how much to resell your sneakers. Why should Ticketmaster dictate your right to resell a ticket?
Price ceilings might sound good — until you realize they drive ticket resale into the shadows. Craigslist. Facebook. Shady overseas sites. No protections, no guarantees, no recourse. In countries with price caps like Ireland and Australia, ticket fraud is up to 4x higher.
And the data proves it: on legitimate resale platforms, fans often find tickets below face value — saving over $475 million since 2017, including $65 million in New York alone. Don’t kill the golden goose by capping resale prices and driving fans into the dark corners of the internet.
Here’s what we love about the bill!
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Ever felt like tickets disappear in seconds, but somehow reappear later at double the price? You're not imagining it. Primary sellers often hold back over half the tickets for exclusive drops or secret stashes, leaving regular fans scrambling and overpaying during “public” sales. It’s a rigged game of musical chairs, and fans always lose.
A8651/S8221 takes a strong swing at this with a first-in-the-nation disclosure mandate for ticket holdbacks — and that’s something to cheer. But the 6,500-seat venue threshold is way too high. Small-venue fans deserve the same transparency. Let’s lower that cap and give fans a real shot at seats without the smoke and mirrors.
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If an event is “canceled,” you get a refund. But if it’s “postponed”? You could be stuck in limbo for months, maybe forever, without your money back. That’s what happened to Springsteen fans in 2023, and it could happen to you.
This bill would force ticket sellers to refund fans if an event isn’t rescheduled within 3 months. That’s real protection — and it needs to stay in the bill.
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From Denver to Detroit, teams are cracking down on loyal fans for reselling seats — even when life gets in the way and they can’t attend. It’s petty. It’s punitive. And it’s happening in New York too.
A8651/S8221 rightly protects season ticket holders from these dirty tricks. Every fan deserves to use, gift, or resell their tickets without fear of getting blacklisted by their team.
New York Can Still Again — But Only If Lawmakers Get This Right
We applaud lawmakers for a lot of amazing consumer protections in this bill, but granting Ticketmaster tighten their grip and control prices undermines everything this legislation aims to do.
That’s why we support A8659/S8221 — but only if it’s amended to fully protect fans, not monopolies.