StubHub Says It Is Spending Millions to Fight a California Bill Aiming to Cap Concert Ticket Resale Markups

StubHub is spending millions of dollars to oppose a California bill that would limit how much prices can rise when concert tickets are resold, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The proposal would restrict resale markups to no more than 10% above the original ticket price, a change designed to curb what lawmakers view as excessive resale pricing.

According to the report, StubHub’s lobbying expenditures this quarter are described as larger than the spending of several major companies, including Chevron, Verizon, AT&T, and OpenAI. The comparison was used in the story to emphasize the scale of StubHub’s engagement in the legislative fight over resale pricing.

The reported effort is centered on California’s consideration of rules affecting the secondary market for concert tickets. Under the bill described by The Hollywood Reporter, consumers who purchase tickets through resale channels could face tighter limits on how high sellers can list or charge above the original face value.

The report frames the lobbying as a response to the bill’s specific pricing constraint, which would apply a uniform ceiling tied to the starting ticket price. That approach, if enacted, would alter the way resale listings could be priced and could reduce the amount of additional revenue available through the resale channel for tickets whose value rises during demand surges.

StubHub’s opposition, as characterized in the reporting, reflects a broader policy dispute over secondary ticket markets and how resale platforms should be regulated. Supporters of the cap have argued that limiting markups can protect consumers from steep price increases between initial sale and resale.

It is not clear from the information in the report whether the proposal is at the committee, floor, or final-vote stage, or what specific statutory text has been advanced. The next step for the bill would depend on California’s legislative process, including any scheduled votes, amendments, or potential negotiations among stakeholders.

If the bill advances and is ultimately enacted, ticket pricing rules in California would have direct operational implications for resale listings and for how platforms such as StubHub structure listings and pricing mechanics for concerts that are covered by the state’s scope. If the bill fails, StubHub’s lobbying spend would be aimed at preserving the current pricing flexibility in the secondary market.