California introduces a new ticketing bill with a price cap

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California’s ticketing industry could be undergoing some major changes.

California Assemblymember Matt Haney proposed a new bill on Thursday, the California Fans First Act, which aims to make resale tickets more affordable. The bill would limit how much above the original price tickets can be sold on the resale market, capping increases at 10%.

This new bill, AB 1720, would make it illegal to sell tickets for much more than their original price, with the goal of making resale tickets more affordable for concert and show fans in California. It wouldn’t apply to sporting events.

Assembly Bill 1720 was proposed shortly after a related bill, AB 1349, advanced to the California Senate for consideration. AB 1349 seeks to prohibit the resale of tickets before the seller actually has them. If passed, the new law would require ticket sellers to possess tickets before offering them for sale and would increase the fine for violations from $2,500 to $10,000.

If Assembly Bills 1720 and 1349 are approved, they are likely to combine and improve how ticket resales are managed in the state.

Hollywood Inc.

Because popular events often have limited tickets, fake or unverified tickets frequently appear on resale websites. California is considering a law to prohibit these kinds of sales.

I’ve noticed for years now that concert tickets are getting crazy expensive. It seems like everyone wants to go to shows, and that’s created this whole resale market where people flip tickets for even more money. It’s become really difficult to actually buy tickets directly from the official sellers.

Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation, has long been criticized for its dominance in the ticketing industry, controlling about 80% of all online ticket sales. The company is now being sued by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, which accuse it of using its market power unfairly and engaging in illegal practices.

In a past interview with The Times, Live Nation’s Dan Wall explained they are working to get both the federal and state governments to agree on the main source of the problem – the resale market – and to take action to address it.

Live Nation supports the new California Fans First Act. A company spokesperson told The Times they commend Assemblymember Matt Haney’s work to safeguard concertgoers and musicians, explaining that the law – AB 1720 – addresses the issue of unfair ticket resale practices.

Music

This decision follows a public letter signed by prominent musicians – including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Sam Fender, Radiohead, and the Cure – who called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to prohibit the practice.

Laws aimed at controlling ticket prices are gaining traction across the globe. Similar bills, like AB 1720 and AB 1349, are being proposed in many places – the U.K. recently announced a ban on reselling tickets for more than their original price. Maine already passed a law last year limiting resale prices to 110% of the original cost, and other states, including New York, Vermont, Washington, and Tennessee, are now exploring similar rules.

Some observers believe the recent wave of laws regarding ticket sales is an attempt to divert attention from the legal issues facing Ticketmaster and Live Nation, and to unfairly target the resale market. Diana Moss, from the Progressive Policy Institute, argues that a law like AB 1720, which limits how much resale tickets can be marked up, ultimately harms consumers instead of helping them.

Moss argues that blaming the resale market for ticketing issues is a misleading tactic to distract from Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominant position. He believes that limiting resale activity would eliminate the only competitive market and allow Live Nation to further increase ticket prices.

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2026-02-06 22:32