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TikTok's Ticketmaster integration expands to users outside the US
TikTok and Ticketmaster have teamed up to allow artists to sell tickets to live events via the social media app. The program started in the US, but has expanded to more than 20 countries.
The FTC wants to ban hidden 'junk fees' that jack up the price of your purchases
A new rule proposed by the FTC targets hidden and "bogus" fees businesses often add onto their services at checkout, aiming to do away with the deceptive practices.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster to start showing hidden ticket costs
Ticketmaster and Live Nation are pledging to give US consumers the actual price of a ticket before they make a purchase, and not the fairyland price they use to lure in customers. President Biden is expected to officially announce the move during a meeting with live entertainment industry leaders later this afternoon.
Maggie Rogers thwarts ticket bots with in-person sales
Pop star Maggie Rogers isn’t going to let bots spoil her upcoming tour. The “Alaska” singer told fans in an email today that she’s getting a jump on automated scalpers by selling tickets the old-fashioned way: in-person sales.
Ticketmaster knows it has a bot problem, but it wants Congress to fix it
Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold defended Ticketmaster and called on Congress to act to prevent another Taylor Swift fiasco.
Ticketmaster faces antitrust scrutiny in Mexico following Bad Bunny ticket sales fiasco
Mexico's consumer protection agency is preparing to launch a class action suit against Ticketmaster due to a ticket sales fiasco that saw customers with legitimate tickets turned away from a recent Bad Bunny concert in Mexico City.
Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift fiasco sparks Senate antitrust hearing
'When there is no competition to incentivize better services and fair prices, we all suffer the consequences,' Senate Antitrust subcommittee chair Amy Klobuchar said.
The DOJ was reportedly investigating Ticketmaster before the Taylor Swift debacle
Calls to break up Live Nation were renewed after Taylor Swift fans crashed Ticketmaster while trying to buy tickets for her tour.
You can now buy Ticketmaster tickets on TikTok
Some artists, venues and promoters can add event links to their videos.
Snapchat will start matching you with live concerts
Snapchat will start matching you with live concerts in your area.
Ticketmaster pays $10 million fine after hacking a startup rival
Ticketmaster has agreed to pay a $10 million criminal fine to avoid prosecution over charges that it accessed a rival’s computer system without authorization
Spotify will now list virtual events on artist pages
Spotify has clearly noticed this and decided to spruce up the mostly-empty ‘On Tour’ area that lives on artist pages. Starting today, any kind of virtual event can show up there too. According to Spotify, a “select number of [presumably virtual] Ticketmaster events” will also appear automatically in the On Tour section.
Ticketmaster fights ticket fraud with 'refreshing' barcodes
Ticketmaster is trying a new way to combat ticket fraud: make the ticket change on its own. It's introducing a SafeTix system that gives ticket buyers a unique, encrypted barcode that refreshes every few seconds. You can't copy the ticket by taking a screenshot or otherwise copying the barcode data. The barcode will continue refreshing if you sell or transfer your ticket -- the recipient just gets a new ticket linked to their account and cellphone.
Alexa's new skill lets you scour Ticketmaster using your voice
You can buy tickets using voice commands now that Ticketmaster has given Alexa access to its events. If you've got nothing particular in mind, say "Alexa, open Ticketmaster." You can also ask the voice assistant to look for events you can go to with the date range and location you have in mind. For instance, you can say "Alexa, ask Ticketmaster to find events this weekend" or "find concerts in [a specific area]." Looking for tickets for a particular event? Just use the artist's or team's name: "Alexa, find Miami Heat/[another team or artist] tickets." You can select your seats and finalize your order from there.
Samsung says Bixby will soon work with Google Maps, YouTube
Samsung announced today that Bixby will be integrated into more of its products, including its 2019 QLED TVs as well as a range of smart appliances like refrigerators, washers and AI speakers. Additionally, the company said its assistant will also be able to help drivers and passengers as it's expanding into Samsung's new Digital Cockpit. As it shared how Bixby has expanded, Samsung described the assistant as a scalable, open platform and says it now includes partners like Uber, iHeartRadio and Ticketmaster.
Taylor Swift concert used facial recognition tech to identify stalkers
You're probably used to the presence of facial recognition cameras at airports and other transport hubs, but what about at concerts? That's the step Taylor Swift's team took at her May 18th show at the Rose Bowl, in a bid to identify her stalkers. According to Rolling Stone, the camera was hidden inside a display kiosk at the event, and sent images of anyone who stopped to look at the display to a "command post" in Nashville, where they were cross-referenced with other photos of the star's known stalkers.
Ticketmaster buys a blockchain company to guard against ticket fraud
Ticketmaster will soon have another way to fight bogus ticket sales: by hopping on one of the biggest tech bandwagons of 2018. It's acquiring Upgraded, a company that melds blockchain's distributed trust with encrypted barcodes to minimize the fraud you sometimes see with paper-based or PDF tickets. You'll have a clearer sense of when a concert pass is legitimate, while event holders will have more of a grip on where their tickets are going.
Ticketmaster caught enlisting pro scalpers for online resales (updated)
Ticketmaster claims it's fighting scalpers tooth and nail, but it may be aiding them in private. Exposés at CBC News and the Toronto Star have shown the company courting professional scalpers, even when it's clear they're using bots or otherwise violating Ticketmaster's terms of service. The company quietly launched a secretive ticket inventory system, TradeDesk, that lets scalpers upload high volumes of tickets and quickly resell them at the price of their choice. Moreover, Ticketmaster salespeople caught on camera were adamant that they didn't verify whether or not TradeDesk users were violating terms of service, including the use of bots -- at least one rep was fully aware of the activity.
Comcast's X1 set-top box helps you buy concert tickets
Comcast isn't stopping at offering movie tickets through the X1. It's using Ticketmaster's platform to sell Kelly Clarkson tickets with the help of its set-top box. Say "Kelly Clarkson Tour" to the remote and you'll go to a promo screen that will show you nearby concert dates and start the ticket purchasing process if you just have to see a show. Unfortunately, you can't complete the purchase on your TV -- you'll instead receive a text code on your phone that you use to finish the process. Still, it might be easier to browse on the big screen if you've already been curled up on the couch.
British Airways hackers used same tools behind Ticketmaster breach
The British Airways web hack wasn't an isolated incident. Analysts at RiskIQ have reported that the breach was likely perpetrated by Magecart, the same criminal enterprise that infiltrated Ticketmaster UK. In both cases, the culprits used similar virtual card skimming JavaScript to swipe data from payment forms. For the British Airways attack, it was just a matter of customizing the scripts and targeting the company directly instead of going through compromised third-party customers.
