Fans rip NASCAR over switch to Ticketmaster

In a not-so-popular move, NASCAR has switched ticketing partners to work with Ticketmaster starting in 2025. The move is to simplify ticket procedures across all tracks and events and to ease fan experience.

Well, I’m not sure if NASCAR has heard lately, but everyone who goes to live sporting and music events kind of hates Ticketmaster. Hidden fees, insane prices, and at times other complications have led to multiple social media outcries and small boycotts against the ticket provider.

Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal reported the change earlier today. Fans did not hold back on NASCAR and Ticketmaster.

Just so wildly out of touch with the fan base literally at every turn. Fucking joke of a sport dude.

— GreatValue Podcaster (@CarlnoWinslow) September 26, 2024

With fans of all kinds looking for cheaper and easier options to attend events, it seems like a bad move from NASCAR overall. As Daniel Kriete pointed out, this could lead to more expensive tickets for fans.

NASCAR partnering up with Ticketmaster is one of the worst decisions they have made in a while, tickets are already expensive as it is and now they are going to be even more expensive with the fees they charge #NASCAR

— Daniel Kriete (@DanielKriete4) September 26, 2024

Overall, it’s just a letdown. It does feel like NASCAR makes a good decision and then follows it up with three bad decisions. This, at first look, appears to be one of the bad decisions.

I just told someone that it's like NASCAR execs are trying to make the worst decisions possible.

There's absolutely no way that they didn't know that Ticketmaster/Live Nation is one of the most universally hated brands on the planet. Even if they don't tack on a bunch of fees,… https://t.co/KrEWPjf7qH

— Sarah Davis 🤫 Bubba fan // 23XI stan (@sarahdavisagain) September 26, 2024

Look, a deal can always be made if the money is there. Clearly, NASCAR and Ticketmaster see themselves as working well together. It doesn’t matter how hated the brand is or the reaction from fans.

If NASCAR makes tickets available on the Ticketmaster platform, fans will buy them. Even with additional fees. NASCAR knows that. So, those criticisms don’t really factor into the decision to do a deal with Ticketmaster.

NASCAR teaming up with Ticketmaster amid DOJ investigation

Ticketmaster is owned by Live Nation. Earlier this year, back in May, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster for monopolizing the markets regarding live concerts in the United States.

30 state and district attorneys general are also involved in the lawsuit. And it isn’t regarding their ticketing for sports events, but this is still a bad look. To do this in the middle of a federal lawsuit regarding a monopoly on tickets is just a bad move overall.

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement regarding the case earlier this year. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”

If NASCAR partners with Ticketmaster just to see Live Nation-Ticketmaster broken up by this lawsuit, it will just be the cherry on top of this already strange move. Who does this help?