Live entertainment should bring people together, not push them away. But in recent years, buying a ticket has become a battle of speed, money, and luck. From live concerts and tours to top sports events, fans are increasingly priced out by scalpers, resale schemes, and bots. The dream of being part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience is being replaced by frustration and financial strain. It’s a broken system, and it’s time for a better one.

Live Moments that Slip Away

Scalping has transformed the ticketing experience into a battleground for fans. In 2024, Coldplay's concerts in Mumbai sold out in minutes, with over 10 million fans fighting for 180,000 tickets. Tickets priced between $30 and $140 were resold for up to $10,800, leading to public outcry and discussions about the legality of ticket scalping in India. 

Similarly, during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, fans faced resale prices soaring up to $31,000 per ticket, turning the dream of attending into a financial nightmare. The situation got even worse because of a cybercrime scheme where nearly 1,000 tickets were stolen and resold for approximately $635,000.

High-profile NBA Finals games have seen tickets resold at exorbitant prices. For instance, during the 2019 NBA Finals, tickets were being resold for up to 10 times their face value, making it difficult for average fans to attend. This practice has drawn criticism from fans and officials alike, leading to calls for stricter enforcement of anti-scalping laws.

The Invisible Competition

Beyond scalpers, bots have emerged as a significant challenge. These automated programs can purchase thousands of tickets within seconds, outpacing human buyers. For instance, during the Hamilton Broadway show's peak popularity, bots were used to secure over 30,000 tickets, accounting for approximately 30% of the show's available seats.

The issue isn't isolated. The US Federal Trade Commission's first enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act resulted in penalties exceeding $31 million against ticket brokers who used bots to purchase and resell tickets at inflated prices.

A Better Way Forward with POP.LIVE

In the middle of these challenges, POP.LIVE emerges as a beacon for fans seeking fair access to live events. As part of the POPG ecosystem, POP.LIVE shares the vision that fans deserve better. The platform will offer access to premium events at original prices, which can be purchased using the entertainment utility token $POPG.

The level of access to the platform will be based on the fan tier on POP.VIP, another platform within the ecosystem, where users can save $POPG and earn up to 14% a year in rebates. By starting to save and reaching any of the available tiers, users will already be able to access POP.LIVE.

In a world where the joy of live events has been compromised by unfair practices, POP.LIVE stands out as a platform dedicated to reconnecting fans with their passion. It's more than just ticketing, it's about preserving the magic of live events for those who cherish them most.

POP.LIVE will be launched soon. Follow POPG on social media and join the community to receive the latest updates.

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