Ontario Caps Ticket Resales at Face Value: Fans & Industry React
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government announced Friday it will propose changes to the 2017 Ticket Sales Act to prohibit the resale of live event tickets for more than their original cost, a move applauded by fans who have faced exorbitant prices on the resale market.
The proposed legislation comes after years of complaints about inflated ticket prices, particularly for high-demand events. Michael Brown, a Toronto Blue Jays fan, recounted to CBC Toronto his experience paying over three times the face value for tickets to a World Series game last fall. “We were expecting to pay $1,380 and instead the price of those same four tickets was $5,043,” Brown said. He attempted to cancel the transaction through Ticketmaster but was told it was impossible, ultimately paying the inflated price to attend the game.
This isn’t the first attempt by the Ford government to address ticket resale. In 2019, a rule capping resales at 50 per cent above face value was scrapped. The current proposal marks a significant shift, aiming to eliminate the practice of reselling tickets at a profit.
The announcement was made via a news release and social media posts by Premier Ford. Alongside the new rules, the province intends to strengthen regulations against the sale of counterfeit tickets and address concerns about excessive service charges.
Ticketmaster Canada spokesperson Sabine Hawa stated that demand for tickets often exceeds supply, particularly for major events like the Blue Jays’ World Series run. “Ticketmaster doesn’t set ticket prices. Event organizers determine pricing and in the case of resale, individual sellers set their own prices, including professional resellers who list tickets at whatever price the market will bear,” Hawa said. She emphasized Ticketmaster’s role as a platform providing a “safe, verified marketplace” and noted that resale tickets are clearly marked on the site.
While many fans are optimistic about the changes, some industry insiders believe the proposed legislation is only a partial solution. Slater Manzo, a Toronto-based music producer, expressed hope that the new rules would increase access to events but lamented that they came too late. “Especially when you think about something like Taylor [Swift‘s Eras Tour], where the ticket gouging was crazy,” he told CBC Toronto.
Jonathan Bunce, executive and artistic director at Wavelength Music, a Toronto-based non-profit concert promoter, agreed that capping resale prices is a “good first step,” but won’t solve the underlying issue of affordability. He pointed to dynamic pricing – where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand – as a contributing factor to high costs even before tickets reach the resale market. “The real issue is how tickets are priced and who controls the system in the first place,” Bunce said.
Guillaume Moffet, owner of Friends & Family co., an artist development and talent management company, echoed these concerns, suggesting the province’s plan addresses a symptom rather than the root cause. He believes the dominance of Ticketmaster and Live Nation in the live event industry is the primary driver of high prices. “My biggest concern is that prices may shift elsewhere, higher base ticket prices, hidden fees,” Moffet said.
The province’s Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement released a statement Saturday affirming its commitment to “strengthening consumer protections” and “supporting fair business practices.” The ministry stated the changes would “directly address one of the most common and frustrating experiences for fans: seeing tickets quickly snapped up and resold at dramatically inflated prices.”
El Mocambo executive director Mike Chalut welcomed the proposed changes, stating, “I feel like this is a real celebratory moment for live music and live events.” He expressed hope that the new rules would reduce the financial barrier to attending live shows, allowing audiences to focus on the experience itself. “Let’s focus on the art again. Let’s focus on the artists,” Chalut said.