Is Ticketmaster a monopoly?
NOVEMBER 18TH should have been a momentous day for Taylor Swift’s fans. Tickets for the American leg of the pop star’s tour next year—her first since 2018—were due to be released to the general public on Ticketmaster, an online ticket vendor. But on November 17th the company abruptly cancelled the sale, saying it had too few tickets left and problems with its ticketing system after a botched early release on November 15th. Ticketmaster had invited fans to register for the pre-release and verified those who could take part. This was an attempt to crack down on bots and ticket touts and to manage high demand. But the sale was plagued with glitches and delays. The firm said over 2m tickets were sold—but many soon appeared on resale sites for eye-watering sums.
The bad blood extends beyond the ranks of infuriated Swifties (as Ms Swift’s vociferous fans are known). The pop star herself expressed frustration with Ticketmaster on social media. Jonathan Skrmetti, the Republican attorney-general of Tennessee, a state with a huge music industry, said he would look into the pre-release fiasco. On Friday Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic chair of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, said Congress would hold a hearing on Ticketmaster before the end of the year. The New York Times reported that in recent months America’s Department of Justice (DoJ) has been investigating whether Live Nation Entertainment (LNE), Ticketmaster’s parent company, is a monopoly. Is it?
In 2010 the DoJ approved Ticketmaster’s merger with Live Nation, a venue operator, provided that it adhered to measures drawn up to protect competition in the primary ticketing sector. This included Ticketmaster divesting some of its business to competitors. But those safeguards seem to have failed. Typically, says Michael Carrier of Rutgers University, a market share above 70% is enough to control a market. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, America’s congressional watchdog, published in 2018, Ticketmaster controlled more than 80% of the primary ticketing market prior to the merger and was “still the market leader as of 2017”. But LNE’s chief financial officer says it is not as big as it is often thought: he recently told NPR that though Ticketmaster does not have an exact figure, its estimated market share is 20-30%. That huge discrepancy probably means that LNE is defining the industry more broadly. It seems to be including concert promotion which makes its market share seem smaller.
Monopolies are not inherently illegal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approves of those obtained through “superior products, innovation or business acumen”. The problem comes when a perceived monopoly engages in anti-competitive behaviour to exclude other companies from the market. Ticketmaster and LNE have faced numerous accusations to that effect. In the mid-1990s Pearl Jam, a rock band, working with the DoJ, alleged that by buying up its competitors, Ticketmaster left artists and fans with no alternative and subjected them to exorbitant fees. That case was quietly closed in 1995. Earlier this year a class-action lawsuit alleged that Ticketmaster and LNE use their market power to force fans into arbitration with a new mediator they accuse of having financial links with the companies. Ticketmaster and LNE responded denying the accusations, saying the plaintiffs were overstating the impact of the new arbitrator.
The approach America’s regulators take to trust busting has gone through a sea change under the current administration. President Joe Biden has bemoaned the rise of monopolies, including in the ticketing industry. In 2021 he appointed Lina Khan, known for calling for the breakup of several big tech firms, as chair of the FTC. But even with agencies more willing to pursue antitrust cases, irate Swifties would need proof of anti-competitive behaviour. Shoddy service is not enough. Still, the ticketing debacle emphasises the chilling effect of limited competition. A bigger range of large vendors could increase the pressure on Ticketmaster to improve its sales platform. That’s something fans could at last applaud.
iQOO Z9 5G (Brushed Green, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage) | Dimensity 7200 5G Processor | Sony IMX882 OIS Camera | 120Hz AMOLED with 1800 nits Local Peak Brightness | 44W Charger in The Box
(Refurbished) 10 5G (Silvery Grey, 8GB RAM+ 256GB Storage)
Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 (Karst Green, 12GB+512GB) | Strongest Fold Ever | Largest Battery in Fold Segment-5750mAh | Segment Largest Display | Rear – Triple 50MP Camera with OIS | 70W Fast Charger
Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 (Rippling Blue, 12GB+512GB) | Strongest Fold Ever | Largest Battery in Fold Segment-5750mAh | Segment Largest Display | Rear – Triple 50MP Camera with OIS | 70W Fast Charger
Perhaps—but the legal bar to an antitrust case against the company is high
Sabrina Carpenter 2025 U.S. tour dates: How to get pre-sale tickets to the ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour’ today
We independently evaluate the products we review. When you buy via links on our site, we may receive compensation. Read more about how we vet products and deals.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet tour is growing! The “Busy Woman” singer is, well, going to be a busy woman with the 17 new dates added to her North American tour for her Grammy-winning album of the same name. The extended U.S. dates kick off on Oct. 23 in Pittsburgh, ending on Nov. 23 in Los Angeles. If you’re in the New York area, you could even spend Halloween with Sabrina at MSG. This leg of the Short n’ Sweet Tour will feature supporting artists Olivia Dean, Ravyn Lenae and Amber Mark. You can sign up for pre-sale ticket access now through Sabrina’s official pre-sale and the exclusive Cash App Card pre-sale. General sale opens Friday, Mar. 7.
The exclusive Cash App Card pre-sale begins Tuesday, Mar. 4 at 10 a.m. local venue time. Then, Sabrina Carpenter’s official pre-sale for new Short n’ Sweet Tour dates opens on Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2025, at 12 p.m. local venue time. Both pre-sales are open to sign up now.
Sign up for Cash App pre-sale
Sign up for official pre-sale
General sale for the new Sabrina Carpenter concert dates will open Friday, Mar. 7, 2025 at 10 a.m. local venue time.
Find tickets
While we don’t know yet what tickets for this leg of the tour will officially cost, Vivid Seats resellers have priced tickets for the opening night of this leg in Pittsburgh, PA starting at $319. StubHub has resale tickets for that same date starting at $317.
Find tickets on Vivid Seats
Find tickets on StubHub
Oct. 23
Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Oct. 24
Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Oct. 26
New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Oct. 28
New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Oct. 29
New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Oct. 31
New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Nov. 1
New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Nov. 4
Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Nov. 5
Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Nov. 10
Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Nov. 11
Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Nov. 16
Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
Nov. 17
Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
Nov. 19
Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
Nov. 20
Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
Nov. 22
Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
Nov. 23
Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
Sign up for Cash App pre-sale
Sign up for official pre-sale
Top Stories
When do new Sabrina Carpenter tickets go on sale?
Sabrina Carpenter tickets cost:
Sabrina Carpenter Short n’ Sweet Tour new dates:
Recommended articles
Sabrina Carpenter Changes Set List for ‘Short n Sweet Tour’ for 2025 Dates After Dropping Deluxe Album
Aaron Pierre & Teyana Taylor Fuel Romance Rumors After Attending Vanity Fair Oscar Party Together
Armie Hammer Admits Attempting to Hooking Up with a Man, Details His Experience
Chelsea Handler Confirms She’s Dating Someone Amid Those Ralph Fiennes Rumors
Dolly Parton’s Husband of Nearly 60 Years Carl Dean Dies at Age 82
Sabrina Carpenter has resumed the Short n’ Sweet Tour for her first shows of 2025 and there has been a change to the setlist!
The 25-year-old singer wrapped the first North American leg of the tour back in November 2024 and she launched the European leg with a show on Monday (March 3) in Dublin, Ireland.
The Europe shows come just weeks after Sabrina released the deluxe version of her Short n’ Sweet album, which included several new songs. The setlist has changed amid the release of new music with some songs added in!
Fans who didn’t get a chance to catch Sabrina on tour in 2024 will have another chance as she has announced 17 more shows in North America for the end of the year. Tickets are on sale this week.
So, how has the set list changed? See the new run-of-show below!
1. “Taste”
2. “Good Graces”
3. “Slim Pickins”
4. “Tornado Warnings”
5. “Lie to Girls” / “Decode”
6. “Bed Chem”
7. “Feather”
8. “Fast Times”
9. “Busy Woman” (REPLACES “Read Your Mind”)
10. “Sharpest Tool” / “Opposite”
11. “Because I Liked a Boy”
12. “Coincidence”
13. “15 Minutes” (Surprise cover song slot)
14. “Nonsense”
15. “Dumb & Poetic”
16. “Juno”
17. “Please Please Please”
18. “Don’t Smile”
19. ENCORE: “Espresso”
For the Dublin show, Sabrina performed her new song “15 Minutes” in the surprise song slot. It’s unclear if she’ll continue performing that one or continue rotating between various songs.
Cash App Card pre-sale for the new tour begins on March 4 at 10 a.m. local time followed by Team Sabrina presale at 12 p.m. local time. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 7 at 10 a.m. local time. Head to Ticketmaster.com for details.
Can’t find seats at the show you want? Try resale sites, including Stubhub.com and Vividseats.com.
SHORT N’ SWEET TOUR DATES
10.23.25 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
10.24.25 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
10.26.25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
10.28.25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
10.29.25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
10.31.25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
11.1.25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
11.4.25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
11.5.25 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
11.10.25 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
11.11.25 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
11.16.25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11.17.25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11.19.25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11.20.25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11.22.25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
11.23.25 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Disclosure: Some products on this site use affiliate links and we may earn commission for any purchase made through the links.
