The Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Ticketmaster in a hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Senators questioned Ticketmaster about the “Bad Blood” that resulted when tickets went on sale for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour.
Utah Senator Mike Lee said the ticket industry needs more competition.
“When there’s competition it does two things, both of which are very valuable to the average American: it increases quality and it reduces price,” Senator Lee said.
Senator Lee finished his remarks quoting Taylor Swift, “Karma’s a relaxing thought, aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?”
Senator Blumenthal likewise nodded to Taylor Swift’s lyrics when saying the situation was Ticketmaster’s fault.
“And may I suggest that Ticketmaster ought to look in the mirror and say, ‘I’m the problem, it’s me,'” Senator Blumenthal said.
When tickets went on sale last November, millions of people waited for hours in online queues as the Ticketmaster website crashed. Fans experienced teardrops on their guitars as many were unable to get tickets.
BYU student Hayley Johnson said she is a fan of Taylor Swift and was able to get a ticket, but not through Ticketmaster.
“I didn’t get a presale code, I had to get them resold, so they were kind of expensive … the Ticketmaster thing made me kind of mad because when it went to the general public, you couldn’t do anything, so I had to go to outside sources, but it’s worth it,” Johnson said.
However, BYU student Katharine Howard said it was not necessarily a big deal.
“I’m not entirely sure it’s as important as some people think it is,” Howard said.
For fans that got tickets, their “Wildest Dreams” came true, and it’ll be a “Love Story” for them when Taylor Swift kicks off her tour in Arizona on March 17.
