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UK to Ban Ticket Resales Above Face Value, With Platforms Held Liable

Officials will publish details within days following mounting pressure from artists and consumer groups.

Overview

  • Reports say ministers have chosen a face-value cap on resales, with service fees allowed but subject to a new ceiling that is yet to be set.
  • Platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub would face legal liability for non‑compliant listings, with enforcement led by the Competition and Markets Authority.
  • The plan is expected to cover concert, sport, theatre and comedy tickets, extend to social media sales, and curb bulk reselling by limiting how many tickets can be flipped.
  • The CMA separately opened investigations into pricing and mandatory charges at secondary platforms including StubHub and Viagogo.
  • Live Nation/Ticketmaster backed the move and noted Ticketmaster already limits UK resales to face value, while StubHub and Viagogo warned a cap could drive trade to unregulated markets and cited higher fraud in countries with caps; shares in StubHub fell 14% after the reports.