Ticketmaster to take on touts with launch of new ‘Verified Fan’ system

Ticket touting has become a major problem in the events industry over the past few years.

Too often, genuine fans are forced to pay extortionate fees to see their favourite act live on stage after touts quickly snap up the sought-after tickets.

The ongoing issue has prompted some artists to take matters into their own hands, with Ed Sheeran famously cancelling 10,000 tickets that were being re-sold at rip-off prices last year. 

However, it looks like touting could soon be a thing of the past with the launch of Ticketmaster's new 'Verified Fan' system.

Concert-goers will now be required to register three to 10 days before tickets go on sale with the length of time set to vary depending on the popularity of the event.

They will also be asked to provide their name, phone number and email address so the system can “run a series of algorithms” to predict how likely they are to attend the show.

Ticketmaster's Head of Music David Marcus explained the process to Newstalk's Jess Kelly:

“If we predict that you are going to go to the show, you get invited to purchase the tickets in a pre-sale. If we think that you are going to sell it, we don’t invite you.”

While the news has been welcomed by the vast majority of music lovers, some have argued that the system could potentially prioritise fans who have previously bought tickets or merchandise for the artist in question.

However, David ensured that “the system does not try to rank fans based on how big a fan they are”.

“That question is not asked. It is simply do we think they are likely to resell,” he said.

“We are the biggest ticket seller in the world. We have got a lot of insights about what fan behaviour looks like and what reseller behaviour looks like. The last point I want to make is; it is not a guarantee of a ticket. It is an invitation to purchase.”

It is not yet know when exactly the system will be introduced, though it is expected to be rolled out over the the next year.

The full interview with David Marcus can be heard on Newstalk's 'Tech Talk with Jess Kelly' this Sunday at 6pm.