Dynamic and Surge Pricing for Tickets

Dynamic and surge pricing by Ticketmaster enables concert prices to skyrocket 300% above face value, with official platinum seats often costing $1,000 or more before fees. This practice is more opaque than unrecouped advances at #5, extracting maximum consumer surplus through real-time algorithm-driven demand spikes—like a price jump from $150 to $450 within minutes. The resulting volatility makes live music less accessible and generates backlash that exceeds resentment toward ghost songwriting at #7, as fans report paying an average of 50% more post-fee. In 2023 alone, dynamic pricing added $2.8 billion in extra ticket costs across the U.S., hitting fans earning under $50,000 particularly hard.