> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hypebot.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Vanderbilt Study: Resale Ticketing Costs Fans $11B Annually - URL: https://www.hypebot.com/vanderbilt-study-resale-ticketing-costs-fans-11b-annually/ - Published: 2026-08-25T16:59:35.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-25T17:55:25.000Z - Description: A Vanderbilt study reveals ticket resellers drain $11B yearly from live music and its fans. NIVA and NITO support the study's proposed solutions. - Author: Bruce Houghton - Tags: Vanderbilt, Ticket resale, StubHub, ticket resale cap, live music, Airbnb Concerts, #trending A white paper released by the **Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator** (VPA) reveals that ticket resellers and marketplaces like **StubHub** drain **$11 billion** every year from live event audiences. The study, **How to Save Audiences $11 Billion on Live Events,** exposes how ticket brokers add $4.5 billion in resale upcharges while platform service fees add another $6.8 billion in costs. While resale advocacy groups claim secondary markets save fans money when tickets sell under face value, VPA’s data shows **fans actually lose $12 to markup gouging for every $1 saved**. ### **Industry Leaders Back Reform** Both the **National Independent Venue Association** (NIVA) and the **National Independent Talent Organization** (NITO) voiced support for VPA’s findings. NITO cited its own survey of 65 shows, which found an average resale markup of 91% and platform service fees occasionally exceeding 100% of face value. Industry leaders emphasize that these billions in inflated costs never reach the artists, crews, or venues actually putting on the shows. **Both trade groups endorse VPA’s two central policy solutions:** - **A bright-line ban** on reselling tickets above original face value. - **A 10% cap** on all primary and secondary ticketing platform service fees. "Vanderbilt has given Congress, governors, state legislators, and attorneys general the most convincing evidence we've seen that resale price gouging has to be reined in," **Stephen Parker, Executive Director of the NIVA** said in a statement. "This report uncovers that fans and consumers lose $12 on the resale market for every $1 that scalper advocacy groups claim they save. That is shocking, and it calls for action." “Stubhub and the resale giants have spent millions on lobbying to convince law makers they are saving consumers money” echoed **NITO Executive Director Nathaniel Marro.** “However, the facts are clear as day. Resale is costing fans billions of dollars each year, money that is being drained from our industry and never reaches the artists, crews or venues that actually put on these shows.” ### **Fitting Into the Legislative Landscape** These proposals build on momentum already taking root across state and federal governments. **Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont,** and **Washington, D.C.**, have already passed laws capping resale markups or platform fees, with similar legislation pending in **Massachusetts.** Internationally, the province of Ontario and several European nations have enacted face-value resale rules. At the federal level, the report intersects with an increasingly aggressive regulatory push. Legislative efforts such as the **BOTS Act**, the **MAIN Event Ticketing Act,** and the **Fans First Act** aim to curb ticket-buying bots and mandate price transparency. Concurrently, the **Federal Trade Commission** and **Department of Justice** are pursuing major enforcement actions against dominant ticketing companies and predatory groups. The Vanderbilt study also highlights that **state attorneys general and the FTC already possess the regulatory authority under Section 5 "unfair practices" rules** to enact fee caps and resale limits immediately without waiting for new congressional statutes. Read the full Vanderbilt study "How to Save Audiences $11 Billion on Live Events" [here](https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-URL/wp-content/uploads/sites/412/2026/08/03190151/How-to-Save-Audiences-11-Billion-on-Live-Events.pdf?ref=hypebot.com). ### **Hypebot’s Bottom Line** The live music ecosystem is reaching a breaking point where unearned middleman profits directly undercut touring viability and fan access. With empirical data disproving the "free market" defense of scalping, policymakers now have a clear roadmap: cap platform fees at 10% and outlaw above-face-value resale to keep live entertainment sustainable for everyone involved. --- ***Get the latest Live Music & Industry News updated continuously from across the web under the Hypebot Industry News tab*** [***here***](https://www.hypebot.com/music-industry-news-feed/)***.*** ## Hypebot Essential news & insights for artists and live music pros. Sign up for free weekly content delivered to your inbox Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.