Protect Ticket Rights (PTR) is a website launched in August 2016 by the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB), a trade association for event-ticket resellers, to inform holders of event tickets of their legal rights; highlight unfair practices of large ticket-selling companies; advocate the end of restrictions on ticket holders to buy, sell or transfer event tickets; and advance the overall interests of its members. 1 2 3
NATB established PTR following concerns about requirements by performers, promoters, and venues of showing identification for paperless tickets, preventing their transfer; the cancellation or non-renewal of season tickets sold by resellers; the use of bots to manipulate ticket demand; the use of exclusive ticket platforms; controlling ticket scarcity with ticket holds; and denial of entry to those who purchased legitimate tickets from other vendors. 4
Parent Organization
National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) is a trade association for event-ticket resellers that was formed in 1991 and is sponsored by ShowsOnSale, Stage Front, ticombo, TickPick, Ticket Flipping, Automatiq, Events Tickets Center, Gametime, GoTickets, Payment Consulting Inc., and PricQX. The organization defends the rights of ticket buyers and sellers, issuing a code of ethics for its member ticket resellers and conducting legislative advocacy. 5 6 7
NATB is governed by a board of directors made up of individuals from member companies. Tony Beram, president and CEO of Western States Ticket Service, is president. 8
Activities
Legislation
Protect Ticket Rights supported the Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing Act or (TICKET Act), which passed the House of Representatives in April 2024, over the proposed Fans First Act introduced in December 2023 advocated by the event venue trade association National Independent Venue Association and Live Nation/Ticketmaster. PTR claimed the Fans First Act would hand its advocates more market power. The TICKET Act called for transparency in pricing by ticket sellers including the price and all additional costs with the total ticket price disclosed in all advertising or price list, disclosure if the seller does not possess the ticket, a guarantee of refund if the event is canceled or postponed, and established the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the enforcer of the act. 9 10 11
Neither proposed legislation passed the 118th Congress. 10 11
Annual Conference
National Association of Ticket Brokers sponsored the 2023 World Ticket Conference in Nashville, Tennessee where discussions were held on trends, markets, pending legislation, and the return of funds collected for events cancelled during the COVID lockdowns. 12
Media
Protect Ticket Rights warned that the acquisition of Ocesa, the largest ticket vendor in Mexico and operator of Ticketmaster Mexico, by Live Nation would further restrict the use of other ticket operations. 13 14
PTR opposes holding back tickets from sale to create the illusion of scarcity driving up ticket prices. 14
References
- “Protect Ticket Rights.” Protect Ticket Rights. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.protectticketrights.com/about-ticket-rights.
- “Protect Ticket Rights.” Protect Ticket Rights. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.protectticketrights.com/news/37/Press+Release+Protect+Ticket+Rights+Now+LIVE+Ticket+Owners+and+Resellers+Have+Rights
- Iq. “NATB Calls for Ticketing Transparency.” IQ Magazine, October 6, 2017. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.iq-mag.net/2016/08/natb-calls-ticketing-transparency-protect-ticket-rights/.
- Iq. “NATB Calls for Ticketing Transparency.” IQ Magazine, October 6, 2017.
Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.iq-mag.net/2016/08/natb-calls-ticketing-transparency-protect-ticket-rights/. - “The NATB – Tickets You Can Trust.” The National Association of Ticket Brokers. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.natb.org/.
- “The NATB – Tickets You Can Trust.” The National Association of Ticket Brokers. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.natb.org/ticket-bill-of-rights/.
- “The NATB – Tickets You Can Trust.” The National Association of Ticket Brokers. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.natb.org/why-natb/.
- “The NATB – Tickets You Can Trust.” The National Association of Ticket Brokers. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.natb.org/our-people/.
- “Explainer”. Protect Ticket Rights. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.protectticketrights.com/files/ptr-explainer-oasis-tickets1276797008.pdf
- H.R.3950 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Ticket act | congress.gov | library of Congress. Accessed December 14, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3950.
- “S. 3457: Fans First Act.” GovTrack.us, December 7, 2023. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/s3457/text.
- Fuller, Eric. “World Ticket Conference: 2023 Nashville Takeover.” Forbes, July 24, 2023. Accessed December 13, 202. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericfuller/2023/07/21/world-ticket-conference-2023-nashville-takeover/?sh=4d97f5d54914.
- Aswad, Jem. “Live Nation to Acquire 51% of Ocesa, Mexico’s Largest Concert Promoter, for $444 Million.” Variety, September 13, 2021. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://variety.com/2021/music/news/live-nation-ocesa-mexico-concert-promoter-1235063051/.
- “Protect Ticket Rights.” Facebook. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/ticketrights