January 27, 2026
The Honorable Marsha Blackburn
Chairman
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy
357 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable John Hickenlooper
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy
316 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Chairman Blackburn, Ranking Member Hickenlooper, and Members of the Subcommittee,
Thank you for holding a hearing entitled “Fees Rolled on All Summer Long: Examining the Live Entertainment Industry.” This hearing will provide your Subcommittee an opportunity to explore the challenges Americans face when purchasing tickets for live events. As you undertake this important task, National Taxpayers Union strongly urges you to keep the consumer perspective front and center.
Fans are right to be frustrated about high ticket prices. Unfortunately, much of the cost of live entertainment events reflects market fundamentals, including high consumer demand, limited venue capacity, and the ability of artists to set prices for performances. These dynamics are inherent in any free market, and lawmakers should carefully distinguish them from practices that are actually unfair or deceptive.
Legislative solutions should prioritize transparency and accessibility for fans. Ensuring consumers have access to accurate list prices and clamping down on the growing use of automated bots that rapidly buy up tickets would have a far greater impact for fans than attempting to regulate prices or penalizing market actors for outcomes that arise naturally from supply and demand.
Focusing on the consumer experience ensures that reforms help fans obtain tickets more fairly and reliably, while preserving the economic incentives that make live events viable for artists and venues. Live entertainment is a key part of American culture, and NTU appreciates the Subcommittee’s work on this matter.
Sincerely,
Alex Ciccone
Policy and Government Affairs Manager
National Taxpayers Union
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.ntu.org ’
