Press Release: National Poll Shows Americans Want Government to Improve Live Event Ticketing

8 in 10 Americans Support New Rules, like the Federal BOSS Act 
 
BOSS Act protects common sense consumer rights like the ability to transfer tickets, and purchase with refund protection. The legislation is also expected to outlaw deceptive ticket sales practices 
  
WASHINGTON, D.C.
– Protect Ticket Rights today released a national survey that finds Americans overwhelmingly support the right of ticketholders to transfer their tickets without interference from the original seller (the so-called “primary seller” that is usually the box office or ticketing agent like Ticketmaster or AXS). In addition to supporting the basic right to transfer a ticket, nearly eight in ten Americans surveyed said they support new rules that would protect the right to transfer live event tickets. Protect Ticket Rights also applauds recent statements made by U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) about his intention to soon reintroduce the Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing Act (the “BOSS Act”) 
 
The BOSS Act, as introduced in previous sessions of Congress by Representative Pascrell and others, would address flaws in the current live event ticketing ecosystem by guaranteeing the right to transfer tickets, improving transparency regarding ticket availability and pricing, and strengthening competition among ticket sellers. Economists, members of the media and consumer protection groups have all called for additional federal intervention into the ticketing market. Prior to the start of the pandemic, the ticketing market was probed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Federal Trade Commission, and punitive action regarding anticompetitive practices was taken by the Department of Justice. 
 
“The BOSS Act as previously crafted contains common sense, pro-consumer rules that are needed in the live event ticketing system. Consumers overwhelmingly support and desire the protections and reforms that were included in the legislation previously introduced,” said Gary Adler, Executive Director and Counsel of the NATB, which sponsors the Protect Ticket Rights initiative.  “Comprehensive reform will require each player in the ticketing industry to compromise, adapt, and be held more accountable. A law like the BOSS Act will improve the overall experience for fans so that they can buy tickets in a more vibrant and trustworthy marketplace. Not only do Americans support their basic rights as ticketholders, but they also overwhelmingly want real legal protections – that’s where the BOSS Act comes in,” Adler continued. 
 
The survey included a representative national sample of 800 respondents ages 18+ across the U.S. and conducted by Google Surveys October 13-29, 2021. A fact sheet with additional information is available here. The poll results include:  
 

  •  81.6% agreed “If you purchase a ticket to an event, you own it, and rules should require that you have the flexibility to give it away or resell it if you so choose.”  
  • 86.4% disagreed when asked “Should venues be able to deny your entry at an event or cancel your tickets because you bought them from a marketplace like StubHub, SeatGeek or Vivid Seats.”  
  • 79.3% support “new rules that guarantee your right to transfer, resell, or give away your tickets however you choose.”  

Frustration experienced by fans today is driven by a variety of issues, which are outlined on the Protect Ticket Rights website at www.protectticketrights.com/the-issues. These include ticket holdback restrictions on ticket transferability, denying entry at venues for genuine tickets purchased from online marketplaces, the cancellation of season tickets for fans who resell some of their tickets to recover some of their costs, locking tickets within a single company’s platform or app, deceptive websites, non-transparent fees, fraudulent sellers, a practice called slow ticketing that artificially creates scarcity to compel ticket purchasing at higher prices, and more.   


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About Protect Ticket Rights  
Protect Ticket Rights is an initiative of the NATB formed to advocate for an open and competitive market free of unfair restrictions, to call for transparency throughout the ticketing ecosystem, and to help guide fans through issues they encounter. Learn more at www.ProtectTicketRights.org.  
 

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