Taylor Swift Declined to Implement Dynamic Ticket Pricing for the ‘Eras’ Tour
Reports indicate that Taylor Swift declined to use Ticketmaster’s dynamic ticket pricing for her ‘Eras’ tour. This pricing strategy, known as “surge pricing,” was introduced in 2022 and adjusts ticket prices based on demand. Ticketmaster has stated on their website that market-priced tickets “may increase or decrease at any time based on demand,” similar to how airline tickets and hotel rooms are sold.
In a recent interview with HITS Daily Double, Jay Marciano, Chairman and CEO of AEG Presents, discussed insights gained from Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour. He noted that Taylor did a number of things that other artists wouldn’t even consider. One significant decision was her choice not to implement dynamic pricing for her tickets. She explicitly said she didn’t want to do that to her fans. She was prepared to make decisions that might reduce her earnings because she is focused on the long-term perspective of her career.
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When Ticketmaster experienced “historically unprecedented demand” for tickets to the North American leg of Swift’s 2023 tour, the singer responded with a statement emphasizing her commitment to her fans. She expressed that she is extremely protective of her fans and finds it challenging to trust an external company with these relationships. She described feeling “excruciating” frustration watching errors occur without recourse, and she acknowledged the difficulties people faced while trying to secure tickets, stating that there are numerous reasons why it was so hard to get tickets, and she is working on improving the situation going forward.
Swift continued that she make excuses for anyone because we asked them several times if they could handle the demand, and we were assured they could. While it’s amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, it infuriates her that many feel they went through several bear attacks to obtain them.
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This summer, fans of Oasis experienced similar frustrations when trying to purchase tickets for the band’s highly anticipated comeback tour. During the chaotic ticket sale for shows in the UK and Ireland, many fans were dismayed to discover that ticket prices had been affected by dynamic pricing on the payment pages. In response to this, a new law may soon be proposed in the UK, mandating that music and sports events disclose maximum ticket prices at the start of the purchasing process. This follows criticism from Britain’s Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, who condemned dynamic pricing and called for a review of the policy. Oasis later confirmed that dynamic pricing would not apply to their North American reunion tour dates.
In a statement at the time, Oasis clarified that they left ticketing and pricing decisions entirely to their promoters and management, asserting they had no knowledge that dynamic pricing would be implemented. Following the UK and Ireland ticket sale controversy, the issue was escalated to the Advertising Standards Agency and the European Commission, with separate calls for a government investigation. Experts have indicated that failing to inform Oasis fans about dynamic pricing could potentially violate consumer law.
As for Swift, her monumental ‘Eras’ Tour has officially made history as the first tour to earn over $1 billion (£796 million). She reached this remarkable milestone after sixty shows and eight months on the road.
–Silviya.Y
