New research shows the negative impact of secondary ticketing sites on the UK music business, with 80 percent of the UK public agreeing they are a 'rip off'.
Commissioned by FanFair Alliance – a campaign against industrial-scale online ticket touting – the consumer survey found that 67 percent of people who purchased above-face-value tickets from sellers on sites such as Viagogo, StubHub, Get Me In! and Seatwave would attend fewer gigs in the future.
Meanwhile, 60 percent said they would attend fewer festivals, 58 percent would spend less on food and drink at venues, and 47 percent would spend less on buying music.
43 percent of those surveyed said they use Google when searching for tickets. This statistic follows criticism from MPs, who accused the search engine of being in 'clear breach of their guidelines' for allowing secondary sites like Viagogo to advertise with them.
A large majority of respondents called for more transparency on secondary platforms (82 percent) and supported the idea of authorised resale services (87 percent).
Speaking about the findings – which were sponsored by See Tickets, The Ticket Factory and Twickets – FanFair Alliance campaign manager Adam Webb said: 'The debate around online ticket touting raises strong passions, so it's important that the wider music business, politicians and regulators can get a sense of what the general public think.
'The message from this research appears to be pretty clear: UK audiences are fed up. The model of secondary ticketing promoted by Viagogo, StubHub, Get Me In! and Seatwave is causing them very real concern – albeit, they are not against the concept of ticket resale.
'The majority would like the option to resell a ticket for the price they paid for it, and they're in favour of measures to curb mass-scale online ticket touting.
'On that front, FanFair urges legislators and regulators to accelerate their endeavours to tackle the most egregious practices of the secondary market.'
Read the full report here.
Commissioned by FanFair Alliance – a campaign against industrial-scale online ticket touting – the consumer survey found that 67 percent of people who purchased above-face-value tickets from sellers on sites such as Viagogo, StubHub, Get Me In! and Seatwave would attend fewer gigs in the future.
Meanwhile, 60 percent said they would attend fewer festivals, 58 percent would spend less on food and drink at venues, and 47 percent would spend less on buying music.
43 percent of those surveyed said they use Google when searching for tickets. This statistic follows criticism from MPs, who accused the search engine of being in 'clear breach of their guidelines' for allowing secondary sites like Viagogo to advertise with them.
A large majority of respondents called for more transparency on secondary platforms (82 percent) and supported the idea of authorised resale services (87 percent).
Speaking about the findings – which were sponsored by See Tickets, The Ticket Factory and Twickets – FanFair Alliance campaign manager Adam Webb said: 'The debate around online ticket touting raises strong passions, so it's important that the wider music business, politicians and regulators can get a sense of what the general public think.
'The message from this research appears to be pretty clear: UK audiences are fed up. The model of secondary ticketing promoted by Viagogo, StubHub, Get Me In! and Seatwave is causing them very real concern – albeit, they are not against the concept of ticket resale.
'The majority would like the option to resell a ticket for the price they paid for it, and they're in favour of measures to curb mass-scale online ticket touting.
'On that front, FanFair urges legislators and regulators to accelerate their endeavours to tackle the most egregious practices of the secondary market.'
Read the full report here.
