London, September 25, 2025 – The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured binding commitments from Ticketmaster to overhaul the way it sells tickets, following widespread concerns about how Oasis tour tickets were marketed and priced earlier this year.
The investigation, prompted by thousands of fan complaints, found that Ticketmaster failed to provide clear and timely information about ticket prices and mislabelled certain options during the highly anticipated Oasis ticket sale.
The CMA’s investigation showed that Ticketmaster misled fans in two key ways. First, it did not disclose that standing tickets were sold at two different prices, meaning fans in lengthy online queues were unaware that prices would rise sharply once the cheaper tickets sold out. Second, the platform marketed some tickets as “platinum” at nearly two-and-a-half times the price of standard tickets, despite offering no extra benefits compared to standard tickets in the same area of the venue.
To address these concerns, Ticketmaster has agreed to a package of reforms designed to improve transparency and fairness for consumers. The company will now provide at least 24 hours’ notice before a sale begins if a tiered pricing system is being used, so that fans are aware of multiple pricing levels in advance.
Customers will also receive more information while waiting in online queues, including the full range of ticket prices and timely updates when cheaper tickets have sold out. In addition, Ticketmaster has pledged to remove misleading labels, ensuring tickets are described accurately and not presented as superior when they are not.
Over the next two years, the company will be required to provide regular compliance reports to the CMA, with enforcement action possible if it fails to uphold these commitments. These undertakings have been provided to the CMA voluntarily and without any admission of wrongdoing or liability.
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said the measures will ensure fans are treated more fairly. “Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve clear, accurate information upfront,” she said. “We can’t guarantee every fan will get a ticket to events as popular as the Oasis tour, but we can ensure they have the information they need, when they need it.”
Ticketmaster has already stopped using “platinum” ticket labels in the UK, separate from the undertakings agreed with the CMA. The regulator also clarified that, despite speculation among fans, there was no evidence of algorithmic “dynamic pricing” during the Oasis sale.
The CMA stressed that these reforms send a strong signal to the wider ticketing industry that transparency in pricing and ticket descriptions is essential. Under new consumer protection laws introduced in April 2025, the CMA now has the authority to fine companies up to 10% of global turnover for breaches of consumer law. The regime does not apply retrospectively.
