October 9, 2024 — The recent sale of tickets for Oasis’ highly anticipated 2025 reunion tour has set records as “the biggest on-sale in history” and generated “the most demand in history,” according to Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino. Speaking at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference in Los Angeles, Rapino revealed that the ticketing division, Ticketmaster, faced an overwhelming challenge from “multi billions” of bots during the sale.
The ticket frenzy has not only highlighted the band’s massive fan base but also the ongoing struggles of the live music industry with automated purchasing programs. These high-speed bots buy up large quantities of tickets the moment they go on sale, often leaving genuine fans frustrated. Scalpers have exploited this demand, reportedly selling tickets for as high as $6,000 even before the official sale began.
Rapino addressed the issue, noting that Ticketmaster is in a constant battle to combat these professional scalping operations, which he characterized as a “$12 billion business trying to capture seats.” He explained that Ticketmaster has implemented various strategies to curb bot activity, including requiring customers to sign up in advance before tickets are made available for purchase.
The company’s efforts to combat bots have been under scrutiny, especially following the infamous collapse of the Ticketmaster system during the sale for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour last year, which Rapino attributed to their attempts to enhance security and prevent automated purchases.
In addition to technological measures, Rapino emphasized the need for collaboration with artists and venues to create a fairer ticketing experience for fans. He suggested that more transparency in the resale market could help mitigate scalper activity, ensuring that tickets reach genuine fans rather than being hoarded for profit.
As excitement builds for Oasis’ reunion tour, fans hope that Ticketmaster’s initiatives will lead to a smoother ticket-buying experience in the future, allowing them to secure their spot at one of the year’s most anticipated events without the hurdles posed by bots and scalpers.