Taylor Swift 的 Eras 巡回演唱会于 2022 年 11 月 15 日开启预售,这是 Ticketmaster 面临过的最严峻考验:超过 350 万粉丝注册为 Verified Fans——该公司历史上最大规模的注册——一天内售出超过 200 万张门票,创下单一艺人的纪录。到预售结束时,Swift 表示已有 240 万人购得门票。

网站无法承受这一需求。粉丝排队数小时,最多长达八小时,页面崩溃后他们被送回队尾;Ticketmaster 表示机器人攻击和没有验证码的粉丝带来了 35 亿次系统请求,是此前峰值的四倍,约 15% 的网站交互出现了问题。11 月 17 日,公司取消了公开售票,理由是需求异常巨大且余票不足,转售价格数日内飙升至 2 万至 2.2 万美元。

舆论冲击波比巡演本身更持久。田纳西州总检察长启动了反垄断调查,粉丝在加州提起集体诉讼,2023 年 1 月参议院司法委员会举行了听证会,Ticketmaster 在票务市场超过 70% 的主导地位成为焦点。2024 年 5 月,司法部与 30 个州起诉 Live Nation 涉嫌非法垄断,要求拆分,起诉书中引用了 Swift 预售事件。

公售取消;集体诉讼;参议院听证会;司法部起诉

350 万注册粉丝被视为营销数字而非容量问题:数小时排队、崩溃和 35 亿次机器人请求表明平台只能承受需求的一小部分

需求靠运气分配而非靠设计:350 万注册粉丝中有 200 万人被列入候补名单,而有验证码的人仍需排队数小时——瓶颈是系统,而非座位

失败是系统性的,且早已可见:参议院听证会曝光了超过 70% 的票务市场份额和 27% 的手续费——一次预售的崩溃成为了拆分诉讼的证据

容量是一个功能:350 万注册粉丝和 35 亿次系统请求将历史上最大规模的预售变成了排队、取消发售和联邦反垄断案。

Live Nation 股价在公售取消当日下跌近 3%,至周五收盘累计下跌近 8%。田纳西州总检察长数日内启动了反垄断调查;粉丝于 12 月提起集体诉讼;2023 年 1 月参议院司法委员会将 Ticketmaster 约 70% 的票务份额和 27% 的手续费记录在案。2024 年 5 月,司法部与 30 个州起诉 Live Nation 涉嫌非法垄断,要求拆分并引用了 Swift 预售事件。巡演最终售罄并如期举行——失败的是系统,而非需求。

从这里,追溯依据

参考来源

  1. CNBC, 17 November 2022 — Taylor Swift public ticket sale canceled over extreme demand (more than 2 million tickets sold Tuesday; 14 million visitors including bots; shares closed down nearly 3% Thursday; cancellation statement) cnbc.com
  2. NBC News, 17 November 2022 — Ticketmaster cancels public sale of Taylor Swift tour, citing high demand (3.5M+ registered, largest in history; 2M sold, most ever in a single day for an artist; 3.5 billion system requests, 4× previous peak; hourslong waits and crashes) nbcnews.com
  3. The Guardian, 17 November 2022 — Tennessee investigates Ticketmaster over Taylor Swift ticket fiasco (AG Skrmetti probe announced; two million tickets sold in presales, most ever on the platform in a single day; resale listings up to $20,000) theguardian.com
  4. The Guardian, 18 November 2022 — Taylor Swift slams Ticketmaster over 'excruciating' ticket debacle (Swift: '2.4 million people got tickets'; resale listings as high as $22,000; reported DOJ probe) theguardian.com
  5. Variety, 18 November 2022 — Ticketmaster Explains Taylor Swift Ticket Crisis for Eras Tour (3.5M registered; 2M waitlisted, 1.5M invited; 3.5 billion system requests, 4× peak; record 2M sold in a day) variety.com
  6. NPR, 6 December 2022 — Taylor Swift fans sue Ticketmaster after Eras Tour ticket sales (class action filed 2 December, LA County Superior Court; 26 plaintiffs from 13 states, later 50; fraud, misrepresentation, antitrust; $2,500 per violation; 2.4 million tickets total, 2 million in a single day) npr.org
  7. NPR, 24 January 2023 — Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fight: Senate holds hearing as fans protest (Senate Judiciary hearing; Klobuchar: Ticketmaster controls more than 70% of the market; government study found 27% of ticket price was fees) npr.org
  8. CNBC, 23 May 2024 — Justice Department sues Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster (DOJ + 30 states, SDNY, Sherman Act; breakup sought; roughly 80% of major venues' primary ticketing; Swift presale cited in complaint) cnbc.com