California’s AB 1720, the state’s most comprehensive ticketing bill to date, failed to advance out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, August 13. The bill, introduced by state assembly member Matt Haney in February, would have made it illegal to resell concert, theater, comedy or other live entertainment tickets at prices higher than face value plus 10% for shows in California.
The legislation faced aggressive opposition from secondary ticketing companies, including StubHub, which spent $3.4 million lobbying against it. A StubHub spokesperson said “more choice, flexibility, and access put fans first and help everyone get into the events they love.”
The bill was backed by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), NIVA CA, and the Music Artists Coalition. Since its introduction, the bill’s scope was narrowed to apply only to independent venues with capacities of 3,000 or fewer, removing protections for larger arena and stadium shows.
“AB 1720 would have helped remove the incentives that fuel predatory ticket resale while still allowing someone who can’t attend a show to resell their ticket and recover their costs,” Haney said. “I’m disappointed the bill did not advance, but this outcome doesn’t change the reality that fans, artists, and venues are losing out while middlemen extract more and more profit.”
Ticket resale cap legislation has gained traction nationwide. Vermont and Maine have passed resale cap bills, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey introduced the Great Divide Act, which would cap resale prices at 110% of face value and limit secondary platform service fees to 10% of total price.
Source: Billboard
