For Immediate Release
March 13, 2024

Contact: Karl Howley
khowley@vision360partners.com

Washington, D.C. – The Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights coalition applauds the Maryland Senate Finance Committee for amending SB 539 yesterday to ensure the legislation improves the consumer ticket buying experience while also ensuring the market for tickets remains a competitive one and where existing consumer rights are not curbed or restricted. The coalition sought changes to this legislation and given changes to the bill yesterday, it supports this as-passed version of SB 539 from the Senate Finance Committee.  If SB 539 as amended becomes law, Maryland will mandate all-in, upfront pricing to reduce frustration caused by hidden fees that appear late in the check-out process, and will ban the speculative sale tickets that mislead consumers into believing they are purchasing a ticket at the time of payment when in fact they are purchasing the future promise of a ticket. These are two important market reforms that will make the ticketing market more transparent for Maryland eventgoers, build upon the state’s current ticketing laws, and make Maryland a national leader in consumer protections for live event fans.  

Current Maryland law codifies federal law that makes illegal the use of nefarious software bots for the purchase of tickets, requires clear disclosure of tickets offered speculatively where the seller does not possess the tickets at the time of purchase but is instead promising to purchase and deliver them later, and prohibits ticket sellers from using misleading website URLs that risk confusing fans into thinking they are on the site of the event organizer or venue when in fact they are not.  

“Mandating all-in pricing and banning on deceptive speculative ticketing is a big step forward for the live event fans in Maryland,” said John Breyault, Vice President of the National Consumers League. “We look forward to continuing to work with legislators in Maryland on solutions that will make buying a ticket to live events in Maryland a safer and less frustrating experience,” Breyault continued.

“Maryland has a wealth of live events to enjoy yet confusing ticketing prices and deceptive ticket sales can mar this experience, and the amended SB 539 as passed in Committee will usher in welcome and much-needed improvements to the market,” said Economic Action Maryland Executive Director Marceline White.

“We thank the committee for removing the resale cap on season tickets, which was harmful to fans and detrimental to Maryland sports culture,” said Brian Hess, Executive Director of the Sports Fans Coalition. “We urge the Maryland House to amend its bill to conform to the bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee, and send it to the Governor to be signed into law,” Hess continued.  

The Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights is endorsed by Economic Action Maryland, National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, Sports Fans Coalition, Fan Freedom, Protect Ticket Rights, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Public Knowledge, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of California, and the Center for New Liberalism.

Last week, the Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights coalition announced its concerns with SB 539 and its House companion HB 701, calling for changes and amendments to the bills, many of which are reflected in the SB 539 passed in Senate Finance Committee yesterday.

A recent report from TBBR coalition member Protect Ticket Rights analyzing secondary ticket sales in the State of Maryland found that consumers saved $16 million by buying tickets on the secondary market between 2017-2024. The report also found that:  

• Sports fans saved the most during the period, nearly $9 million  

• Live music fans enjoyed similar savings of nearly $6.5 million  

• Theater and arts patrons saved nearly $1 million  

• Top venue where fans saved the most: M&T Bank Stadium ($3.3 Million) 

• Top music venues where fans saved the most: CFG Bank Arena ($1.5. Million) and Merriweather Post Pavilion ($1.2 Million) 

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