Live & Ticketing

Ticketmaster caps Olivia Dean resales at face value

Last week Olivia Dean called out Ticketmaster and promoters Live Nation and AEG over their handling of ticket sales for her tour. In response, now Ticketmaster is capping Olivia Dean resales at face value and along with AEG’s AXS offering partial refunds.

Ticketmaster

UPDATE: On Thursday, Ticketmaster and AXS announced that in early December, Olivia Dean fans who purchased resale tickets in their platforms will receive partial refunds reflecting the difference between the original tour price and the higher price charged by the reseller.

“Refunds will be processed by December 10 and may take a few additional days to post, depending on individual banks.” READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Ticketmaster caps Olivia Dean resales at face value

“You are providing a disgusting service,” Olivia Dean wrote on social media. “The prices at which you’re allowing tickets to be re-sold is vile and completely against our wishes. Live music should be affordable and accessible…”

Ticketmaster then took the unusual step of reposting Dean’s complaint alongside their response: “We support artists’ ability to set the terms of how their tickets are sold and resold. We’re capping resale prices for Olivia Dean’s tour on our site at face value and hope other resale sites will follow.”

The move is a social media and PR win for Ticketmaster and Live Nation at a time when they could use it. The pair are facing numerous lawsuits including a Department of Justice call to break up the companies.

Last week, the UK announced it would ban all ticket resales above face value. Ticketmaster applauded the move saying it was a policy they were already implementing there.

Ticketmaster Offers All Artists Face Value Exchange

In the US, Ticketmaster “face value only” ticket resale is actually an option that Dean’s team could have opted into when the tour launched.

Ticketmaster Face Value Exchange caps resales at face value

In 2019, the ticketing giant launched Face Value Exchange and added the ability for artists to cap resale prices. Billie Eilish is among those using the Exchange and steering fans there.

But as Ticketmaster’s “hope other resale sites will follow” implies, their restrictions will have have only a nominal impact for Dean’s fans. AEG’s AXS has yet to respond, but it is highly unlikely that StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid and other resale marketplaces will follow suit

As of Monday, tickets for Olivia Dean’s U.S, tour were selling on StubHub at 50% to 250% above their original face value.

Bruce Houghton is Founder & Editor of Hypebot, Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of Skyline Artists.

“Ticketmaster caps Olivia Dean resales at face value” first appeared on Hypebot.com

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