Industry News

Ticketmaster shuts Get Me In! and Seatwave

Ticketmaster is to close Get Me In! and Seatwave and launch a new fan-to-fan exchange after claiming “secondary sites just don’t cut it anymore”.

The ticketing giant’s ownership of the two resale sites has proved controversial, with many industry watchers and fans suggesting a too cosy relationship between the primary and secondary sector. In particular, music fans visiting Ticketmaster for face value tickets have long complained about being redirected to Get Me In! and Seatwave when concerts sell out in a short space of time.

Ticketmaster said it took the action after listening to the public, accepting people are “tired of seeing others snap up tickets just to resell for a profit”.

It said its new exchange would be launched in October in the UK and Ireland, and across Europe early next year.

In a statement, the company said: “All we want is you, the fan, to be able to safely buy tickets to the events you love.

“So, we’re launching a fan-to-fan ticket exchange on Ticketmaster, where you can easily buy tickets or sell tickets you can’t use through our website or app, at the price originally paid or less.”

Seatwave was founded by industry veteran Joe Cohen in 2006 and acquired by Ticketmaster in 2014. Get Me In! was founded in 2003 and bought in 2008.

Ticketmaster said from today, there will be no new events listed on Get Me In! or Seatwave. The move comes after a long-term crackdown on the operations of resale sites in the UK, with the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) among the bodies that have investigated the sector in recent years.