The US Open tennis tournament saw increased early demand for tickets to its 2024 edition, following a presale debacle on Ticketmaster.
According to Sports Business Journal, public ticket sales doubled last year’s total from the same time frame, and ticket sales for the day surpassed the figure for the entire first week of 2023’s public sales. The presale week also saw its day one sales grow 65% year-over-year, the publication noted. Additionally, 99% of its full series ticket plans were renewed, and the tournament sold out of its mini plans and suites by the end of April — marking the fastest the US Open has sold through its suite inventory.
The news follows struggles during the US Open presale last week, mirroring Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour fiasco in fall of 2022. While American Express card members were able to purchase presale ticket early, fans took to social media to express their frustrations; some said they were never given a code or their code wasn’t working. Many also faced long wait times or were stuck on a “confirming availability screen,” lashing out at the ticketing giant.
Ticketmaster is already under fire after it was targeted in an antitrust lawsuit alongside its parent company Live Nation by the Department of Justice and 29 states, plus the District of Columbia. The lawsuit claims that the Live Nation/Ticketmaster business model violates both federal and state laws in multiple ways, including conducting anticompetitive practices and acting with monopolistic control.
