Ticketmaster Removes Exclusivity Clauses Over Deal With Irish Regulator 

Ticketmaster entered an agreement with Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) that will see it remove exclusivity clauses from contracts with venues over the supply of ticketing services.

It comes after a lengthy investigation from the CCPC into suspected anti-competitive practices in relation to the provision of tickets and the operation of ticketing services for live events. 

The investigation, launched in January 2017, came after a number of high-profile gigs sold out within minutes on Ticketmaster and appeared for sale at a higher price on re-seller sites, prompting a consumer outcry and politicians to begin drafting legislation aimed at clamping down on the reselling of tickets, or ticket touting.

The CCPC said in a statement that Ticketmaster Ireland holds a “very significant share of this market on the island of Ireland.” 

It went on to state, “The CCPC had concerns that Ticketmaster Ireland may have abused a dominant position in the market by entering into long term exclusive contracts with contractual partners  and that these contracts may have restricted competition in the market.”

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