Ticket Fees in New York Have Surged by 36% Since 2016

The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) has conducted a study into ticket fees in New York. The full report is here.

Topline findings:

• The average primary market ticket fee is 28.65% of the face value ticket.

• This is a 36.7% increase from 2016, when a NY Attorney General’s report found that ticket fees in the primary market averaged 21% of face value.

• Ticket fees for secondary sites such as SeatGeek, StubHub and Vivid Seats averaged 38.95%, over 10% higher than the primary market average.

• Lower priced primary market tickets carry disproportionately higher fees, with those priced at $40 or less carrying an average fee of 35.5%.

• The average price of fee was $17.51 on an average $69.70 face value ticket.

• There were multiple cases of ticket fees costing more than 100% of face value.

• Ticket fees were more than 50% of the face value in almost 10% of the data.

• Ticketmaster and AXS fees were nearly double all other providers at an average of 34.73% vs 18.71%.

Methodology:

• NITO analyzed 68 venues across the state, 40 from outside the five boroughs and 28 within, and included pricing data for 500 tickets.

• For each venue three to five shows were analyzed, with efforts made to include a range of ticket price points.

• Venue capacities ranged from 150 to 20,000.

• Platinum seats and other dynamically priced tickets were excluded to focus on standard pricing.

• The secondary market analysis focused on StubHub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats, with 50 tickets on each platform reviewed.

• Resale platforms operated by primary sellers – TM+ (Ticketmaster) and AXS Marketplace – were examined independently to assess how fees and pricing compared to their respective primary markets.

The solutions:

• NITO outlines several steps to create a more sustainable concert environment in New York, including:

• Cap ticket fees at 15% of the face value.

• Let artists control resale restrictions, blocking resellers and allowing true fans to pay the price the artist sets.

• Commercial rent stabilization for creative spaces.

• Tax relief for independent venues with a focus on emerging artists.

• Direct government investment in the creative spaces and artists.

What they said:

• A quote from the NITO report: “These fees are not just irritating; they are a form of systemic price distortion, artificially inflating the cost of live entertainment and degrading the relationship between artists and audiences. In many cases, they also appear to violate existing New York law, which prohibits ‘services charges in excess of the actual cost’ of delivering a ticket. The New York legislature has the power to fix this. It can pass proposed legislation that would cap primary and secondary market ticket fees. At the very least, we must stop pretending that this system is working. It is not. Excessive fees hurt fans, burden artists, and erode public trust. New Yorkers deserve better.”