A congressional panel insisted Tuesday that Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino brief them on what went wrong with Ticketmaster's handling of the Taylor Swift "Eras" tour incident.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to Rapino asking that he answer for the tour failure that left millions of Swift fans unable to see the star perform, in addition to ways the company can prevent a similar incident from happening again.
"The recent pre-sale ticketing process for Taylor Swift's upcoming Eras tour ... raises concerns over the potential unfair and deceptive practices that face consumers and eventgoers," the committee wrote.
"To better understand the obstacles consumers have recently faced and to hear an update on actions the company has taken to maximize the experiences of average consumers, we request a Committee staff briefing with your company," the letter added.
In addition to questions surrounding the Swift tour, the committee said it addressed previous concerns about the industry's business practices. They also want to discuss how Live Nation, the owner of Ticketmaster, processes tickets for major events.
Ticketmaster has apologized to Swift fans for the incident, which it said arose from the "Verified Fans" system aimed at eliminating bot accounts. According to the company, roughly 3.5 million users swarmed the system, causing "unprecedented traffic" and breaking it.
But the committee brought up concerns over whether Ticketmaster "knowingly sold tickets that were improperly purchased" by bots, a violation of current law that might permit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to fine the company "steep" penalties.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department (DOJ) reportedly opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation last month, causing the events giant to release a statement claiming it "does not engage in behaviors that could justify antitrust litigation."
"The Department of Justice itself recognized the competitive nature of the concert promotion business at the time of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger," Live Nation suggested. "That dynamic has not changed."
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