Wilk’s ‘ Ticketmaster Bill’ advances to Senate f loor

Sen. Scott Wilk, R-santa Clarita, announced his legislation to loosen the stranglehold companies like Live Nation/ticketmaster have on the ticket-selling industry will head to the Senate Floor after passing out the Senate Appropriations Committee, according to a statement issued by the state senator’s office.

“Exclusivity contracts with entertainment venues mean higher ticket prices for consumers. This bill gets at the heart of that problem and would help break up the monopoly Ticketmaster has had on California’s live entertainment industry,” Wilk said in the release. “You shouldn’t have to go into debt just for enjoying a night out. My bill is a good first step in opening the door to more competition within the ticket-selling industry, and hopefully will bring some relief to consumers’ wallets.”

Senate Bill 829 would prohibit exclusivity clauses in contracts between a primary ticket seller and an entertainment venue in the state of California. Preventing this clause would provide venues the autonomy to collaborate with other ticket sellers without the fear of retaliation from large ticket sellers.

Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation have dominated the live entertainment industry since Congress approved their merging in 2010. In 2022, Ticketmaster sold 86% of Billboard’s Top 100 Tours in the United States. Of the total 2,498 shows, Ticketmaster ticketed 2,142 of them.

SB 829 is based on a proposal currently going through the New York legislature, and mirrors what Live Nation/ticketmaster already did with the government of Ireland in 2020.

The bill will be eligible for a vote on the Senate Floor Monday.