Photo Credit: Josh Hild
AB 1720, the California Fans First Act, failed to advance in the Senate Appropriations Committee after StubHub spent a record high in lobbying efforts to oppose it.
On Thursday, California’s Senate Appropriations Committee held AB 1720, the California Fans First Act, preventing it from advancing in the state’s legislation. The bill, introduced and authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), aimed to curb ticket scalping by brokers and resale platforms by limiting the resale price of concert tickets to 10% above face value.
The bill had garnered support from organizations like the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), Music Artists Coalition, National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), and even Live Nation, which argued that the bill would help curb ticket scalping.
“This is a disappointing outcome,” said Ron Gubitz, Executive Director of the Music Artists Coalition. “Every fan at every show needs to be protected. Period.”
Haney said he is “going to keep working with the coalition of fans, artists, and venues who recognize the urgency of this issue and continue pushing for solutions that put tickets back in the hands of the people they were intended for.”
“This isn’t a fringe idea, and it isn’t partisan,” Haney added. “From Kid Rock to Noah Kahan, artists across genres have called for solutions to runaway ticket resale practices. Independent venues have spoken out. Fans have demanded change. Several states and countries have already adopted resale caps because they recognize the urgency of this issue. AB 1720 would have helped remove the incentives that fuel predatory ticket resale while still allowing someone who can’t attend a show to resell their ticket and recover their costs.”
Indeed, California isn’t the first state to push for a resale price cap. Successful laws have been enacted in Maine, Vermont, and Washington D.C., and Massachusetts is currently preparing to introduce similar legislation. However, such laws have received significant pushback from resale platforms and brokers like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats, whose business models depend on the revenue from fees attached to ticket sales.
StubHub reportedly spent “millions” and a record high in the last quarter on lobbying efforts to squash AB 1720. Representatives for StubHub did not respond to media requests for comment on the bill’s failure, but the company previously expressed a belief that “more choice, flexibility, and access put fans first and help everyone get into the events they love.”
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