An Examination of Broadway’s Interactions with the Secondary Ticketing Market

The secondary ticketing market impacts many parts of Broadway. The lack of regulations on unauthorized resale has led to brokers scooping up tickets and reselling the tickets for inflated prices before consumers can purchase them. Producers claim it is unfair for other parties to profit from their work, while brokers claim they are fulfilling an economic necessity. Too often, it is the consumer that is harmed by unauthorized resale, whether it is because of inflated prices, misinformation, or the fraud that can thrive in an unprotected marketplace. This case study examines the approaches Broadway theatres take to interact with the secondary market. Through interviews with producers, theatre owners, and ticketing departments from nonprofit and commercial theatres, the study examines the current state of Broadway ticketing and its interactions with the secondary market. Many in theatre focus on enacting legislation to restrict unauthorized resale or implementing policies to restrict this themselves. However, the method that could see the most benefits for all parties involved (including the consumer) is partnerships to create authorized resellers. Authorized secondary sellers already exist, and the benefits they provide make the case for a future ticketing market where authorized resellers work in conjunction with primary sellers.M.S., Arts Administration -- Drexel University, 201