Ticketmaster Faces Legal Threat from UK Watchdog Over Oasis Reunion Ticket Prices

The UK’s competition watchdog has warned it is preparing to take Ticketmaster to court over its ticket pricing practices during the high-profile sale of Oasis reunion tour tickets.

In a letter to MPs on the Business and Trade Select Committee, published on Wednesday, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it has now “discharged its obligation to consult with Ticketmaster” after the company failed to offer any undertakings to resolve the regulator’s concerns.

The CMA launched an investigation in September 2024 into whether Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection laws during the sale of more than 900,000 tickets for Oasis’s highly anticipated 2025 reunion tour.

Following a “thorough investigation,” the CMA concluded that Ticketmaster sold so-called “Platinum” tickets at up to 2.5 times the standard price, despite offering no extra benefits to buyers beyond those of regular seats.

The watchdog also criticised the company for failing to clearly communicate the existence of two tiers of standing tickets at different price points. This left many fans stuck in lengthy online queues, unaware they might face higher costs than expected.

However, the CMA said it found no evidence that Ticketmaster used an algorithm to adjust prices in real time in response to demand. The regulator clarified that while the firm did implement dynamic pricing—where ticket prices can fluctuate significantly depending on popularity—this was not algorithmically driven in the way some critics had alleged.

Dynamic pricing led to some UK tickets more than doubling in cost, with prices surging from around £150 to as much as £355.

In response to the backlash, Oasis announced in October 2024 that they would not use Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model for their North American tour. The band acknowledged that while the pricing strategy can help combat touting and keep prices lower for some fans, it “becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience” when demand vastly exceeds system capacity.

Ticketmaster provided its formal response to the CMA on 16 June. But the regulator says it remains in fundamental disagreement with the company over whether its actions broke consumer law.

“Ticketmaster has declined to provide undertakings in the terms sought by the CMA or indicate whether there is a form of undertakings which it would be prepared to offer,” the letter stated.

As a result, the CMA has formally informed the company that it is preparing to litigate if necessary. The watchdog, however, added that it remains open to further discussions in an attempt to secure a voluntary resolution.

Ticketmaster has not yet publicly responded to the CMA’s latest statement.