CMA warns Ticketmaster over Oasis ticket sales practices

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued an update on its investigation into Ticketmaster, citing concerns over misleading pricing and transparency during last summer’s Oasis ticket sales. The probe, launched in September, found that Ticketmaster may have breached consumer protection laws by labeling certain seated tickets as “platinum” and selling them at nearly 2.5 times the price of standard seats—without clearly explaining any added benefits. Many of these tickets were in the same stadium sections as cheaper options, potentially misleading fans. The CMA also highlighted Ticketmaster’s failure to inform consumers about two tiers of standing tickets at different prices. Cheaper standing tickets were sold first, with higher-priced options released later—leaving fans waiting in long queues unaware of the pricing strategy. While some fans suspected dynamic pricing, the CMA found no evidence of this. “Fans reported problems when buying Oasis tickets, and we felt these concerns warranted investigation,” said Hayley Fletcher, interim senior director of consumer protection at the CMA. “We now expect Ticketmaster to address these issues so fans can make well-informed decisions in the future.” Ticketmaster has already made some changes to its ticketing process since the investigation began, but the CMA says further steps are needed. The watchdog is now working with the company to ensure better transparency in ticket sales. Around 900,000 tickets were sold for Oasis’ highly anticipated UK reunion tour, with shows set for Cardiff, Manchester, London, and Edinburgh.