


Patrons of local entertainment and sports venues won’t get scalped at the last minute by big-time ticket peddlers anymore thanks to a bill set to pass the City Council this week.
The proposed local law, which has overwhelming support on the City Council, will force ticket-selling Web sites such as StubHub and Ticketmaster to come clean on their hefty handling and service fees before patrons click to buy tickets to local venues online.
“Whether it’s a concert or a ballgame, these companies need to stop fleecing fans,” said former hardcore punk-rock guitarist and Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn), who sponsored the bill, to The Post.
“By requiring sellers to list the all-in price up front, my bill will end the era of bait-and-switch advertising on ticket prices,” Brannan said. “Don’t advertise that tickets are $20 when by the time you’re done paying all sorts of surprise fees they’re actually gonna cost $80.
“I think you’ll see how a little transparency can make things more fair for everyone,” Brannan said.
The added fees for events at places such as Madison Square Garden Yankee Stadium and Broadway theaters can run as high as 30% of the price of the ticket, he said.
Brannan first pitched the proposal in 2018, but the council wasn’t sold on the idea then — although it now seems to have more than enough backing to make it into law.
The new proposal doesn’t cap how much the big-market ticket companies can charge for additional fees, but Brannan says he hopes the restriction would embarrass the sellers into being more reasonable.
The bill comes up for a vote Tuesday and can hit ticket-sellers with fines up to $500 for each violation.
The measure comes out of the council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, and if approved, would amend the city’s administrative code.