On 25 September 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a press release confirming it has secured formal undertakings from Ticketmaster in connection with concerns raised during an investigation into the sale of tickets to the Oasis reunion concerts.
For a recap of the CMA’s investigation into Ticketmaster over the pricing fiasco of Oasis tickets, please see our previous article.
What do the undertakings require from Ticketmaster?
The undertakings require Ticketmaster to:
- Let consumers know if a tiered pricing model will be used at least 24 hours in advance of the sale commencing.
- Provide ticket price information to consumers during the online queues, including detailing the ticket price range and updating this when tickets sell out.
- Describe tickets accurately and avoid misleading labels that suggest one ticket type is better than the other if this is not true, for example describing a ticket as “premium” where there are no additional benefits to a “standard” ticket.
Ticketmaster is required to report to the CMA regularly regarding implementation of the undertakings.
Why is it important?
The undertaking from Ticketmaster highlights the importance of clear and transparent pricing to avoid misleading consumers. The Oasis ticket sale sparked widespread disappointment and highlighted the importance of price transparency particularly in the events industry.
Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA said:
“Fans who spend their hard-earned money to see artists they love deserve to see clear, accurate information, upfront. We can’t ensure every fan gets a ticket for events as popular as the Oasis tour, but we can help ensure that next time an event like this comes along, fans have the information they need, when they need it.”
This correlates with the CMA’s guidance on price transparency, ensuring that consumers have the information they need to make free and informed decisions.
Is this an indication of what is to come regarding the consumer regime and CMA enforcement?
Importantly, the Oasis ticket sales occurred prior to the CMA’s enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) coming into effect. Therefore, the investigation was conducted under the previous enforcement powers.
Furthermore, the CMA press release confirms that the undertakings provided by Ticketmaster were given voluntarily.
However, in light of the CMA increased enforcement powers under the DMCCA, and focus on the consumer regime, we except to see further action in respect of key industries and businesses.
For a recap of the CMA’s new enforcement powers, please see our previous article.
If you wish to discuss anything covered in this article, please contact our Intellectual Property, Data Protection and Technology team.