AB 1349:
Ticketmaster’s Insurance Policy Against Accountability
Ticketmaster bet that political loyalty to Trump could erase federal accountability – and it paid off. Trump’s DOJ has struck a sweetheart deal with the company mid-trial, and now they’re trying to lock their monopoly into California law forever with AB 1349.
Ticketmaster bet that political loyalty to Trump could erase federal accountability – and it paid off. Trump’s DOJ has struck a sweetheart deal with the company mid-trial, and now they’re trying to lock their monopoly into California law forever with AB 1349.
TicketMAGA
In 2024, Biden’s DOJ, California AG Bonta and 39 other state AGs sued Ticketmaster’s monopoly. Ticketmaster aligned itself with Trump in hopes that the federal antitrust lawsuit would be dropped, and it worked.
Ticketmaster:
- Donated $500,000 to Trump’s inauguration committee
- Appointed Trump loyalist Richard Grenell to its board
- Hired Kellyanne Conway, former Trump aide, as an advisor
- Benefited from Trump’s pardon of a former Oak View Group CEO tied to a bid-rigging scandal connected to Ticketmaster’s antitrust case
- Benefited from the Trump admin’s “recent ousting” of Gail Slater, Assistant AG for Antitrust for the U.S. DOJ just weeks before trial, prompting national Democratic leaders to sound the alarm.
AB 1349 Locks a Powerful, Corporate Regime into California law
AB 1349 redefines tickets as licenses, not purchased goods, giving Ticketmaster total control and stripping fans of basic ownership rights.
AB 1349 codifies Ticketmaster’s private terms and conditions into state statute, allowing it to restrict or ban ticket transfers and resales, except through its own platform.
Not Ticketmaster
AB 1349 forces fans to keep ticket records for up to a year just to resell or transfer tickets—exposing everyday consumers to penalties while advantaging a monopoly.
The bill bans consumers from using artist, team, tour, or venue names when advertising resale tickets, making listings harder to understand and favoring Ticketmaster’s marketplace.