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W<\/em> When The Cure\u2019s<\/span> frontman Robert Smith said<\/a> he was \u201csickened\u201d by Ticketmaster fees, many of us felt vindicated. The platform then refunded<\/a> some fees, but scalpers are now at it, too, and selling entire Ticketmaster accounts instead of tickets<\/a>. Is there still hope for concertgoers? \u2014 Anna<\/a><\/p>\n If you are longing for a Ticketmaster alternative, you\u2019re not alone. Whether you are a fan of Taylor Swift<\/a>, The Cure or Bad Bunny<\/a>, reasons abound to resent the self-described \u201cworld\u2019s leading live entertainment ticketing platform.\u201d<\/p>\n Is all the hate warranted? Maybe not. Or rather, the platform might just be shouldering more than its share of responsibility. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to blame Ticketmaster and say it\u2019s their fault,\u201d its former CEO Fred Rosen, who ran the company from 1982 to 1998, told CBC Radio<\/a> in January. \u201cWhat determines pricing is demand.\u201d<\/p>\n Regulators in many countries beg to disagree. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate questioned<\/a> Live Nation, which acquired Ticketmaster in 2010, over concerns that it\u2019s a monopoly.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
elcome to the TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly startups-and-markets newsletter. It\u2019s inspired by the daily TechCrunch+ column<\/a> where it gets its name. Want it in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\nPlaying monopoly<\/h2>\n