California Bill to Cap Concert Ticket Resale Prices Dies

A California bill to cap concert ticket resale prices has failed to move forward from the State Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill, known as AB 1720, was introduced by state assembly member Matt Haney in February and aimed to limit resale prices to no more than 10% higher than the original price.

The bill had garnered support from various groups, including Live Nation and the National Independent Venue Association, who argued that it would help rein in ticket scalpers. However, it faced significant resistance from ticket resale platforms, with StubHub spending a record-high $3.4 million in lobbying expenses in California this year to fight the bill.

The bill was amended to apply to venues with a capacity of 3,000 or smaller, removing a majority of the shows that usually draw much of the activity on secondary ticketing sites. Despite this, the bill failed to advance, with StubHub spending $2.6 million in lobbying expenses in the most recent quarter.

Several states and countries have already adopted resale caps, including Maine, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. Massachusetts governor Maura Healey also placed a price cap bill into the state’s supplemental spending bill last month.

## What's Next The failure of the bill is a significant setback for fans, artists, and venues who had hoped to see an end to excessive ticket resale prices. State assembly member Matt Haney has vowed to continue working on the issue, stating that he will “keep working with the coalition of fans, artists, and venues who recognize the urgency of this issue and continue pushing for solutions that put tickets back in the hands of the people they were intended for.”

## Why it Matters The issue of ticket resale prices is a significant one, with many fans feeling that they are being priced out of attending live events. The failure of the bill means that ticket scalpers will continue to be able to list tickets at extreme markups, making it difficult for fans to purchase tickets at a reasonable price. The issue is not unique to California, with many states and countries grappling with the problem of excessive ticket resale prices.