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THE WASHINGTON POST

The DC Council unanimously gave final approval to the RESALE Act, one of the strongest ticket resale laws in the country. Tickets to live shows in the District can no longer be resold on third-party sites like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats for more than 10% above the original price, with a maximum 10% fee allowance on top, meaning fans pay at most 120% of face value. The bill also bans speculative ticket sales, prohibits surveillance pricing, and requires anyone reselling 50 or more tickets a year to register with the District. Councilmember Charles Allen, the bill's author, connected the vote directly to recent revelations about StubHub: "Ticket resellers have used technology and unrestrained profits to turn our live entertainment scene into the wild west — just last week it was revealed StubHub has been running a major ticket scalping operation while they've argued they're just a platform for fans to sell extra tickets." The law takes effect January 1, 2027, pending mayoral signature and congressional review.

The Washington Post · July 14, 2026

CBC NEWS INVESTIGATES

A CBC investigation using StubHub's own SEC filings found that CEO Eric Baker not only runs the platform — he is managing director and part owner of Andro Capital, a fund that sells millions of dollars worth of tickets on StubHub. The company moved $9.2 billion in tickets in 2025. StubHub's "marketplace for fans to buy and sell tickets" tagline is directly contradicted by the company's own federal disclosures. "I literally had no idea," said Vancouver fan Mark Gallagher, whose $11,380 in World Cup tickets never arrived. "That doesn't seem right to me."

Dave Seglins, Kathleen Coughlin, Ariel Tozman · CBC News Investigates · July 10, 2026

NME (UK)

A FanFair Alliance investigation of 50,272 tickets listed on StubHub UK for arena events in early June found that 72% came from just three bulk sellers: Ticket Evolution (40.9%), Your Ticket Delivery (19.5%), and PCE (10.6%). Less than 10% came from private consumer sellers. StubHub's "marketplace for fans" tagline collapses on contact with its own inventory data. Campaign manager Adam Webb: "Such unlawful and anti-consumer practices are not isolated to StubHub International. They are endemic across multiple ticket resale websites." StubHub UK was also fined £900,000 by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority for illegal "drip pricing" — the first such sanction against an uncapped resale platform in British history.

NME · June 30, 2026

THE RINGER

A feature-length investigation into StubHub's World Cup failures by Katie Baker. StubHub's FanProtect guarantee promises "comparable or better tickets, or a refund." StubHub is choosing the refund — interpreting "comparable" as comparable price, not a comparable seat. Chicago attorney James Vlahakis, who has been helping stranded fans pursue actual replacement seats through injunctive relief, summed up the problem: "This is a collision of several related issues and business practices, compounded by the high demand for tickets." Baker also surfaces a detail from the company's founding documents that StubHub's marketers probably prefer you forget: the company was incorporated as Pugnacious Endeavors, Inc.

Katie Baker · The Ringer · July 9, 2026

MUSIC BUSINESS WORLDWIDE

Trade press coverage of the Sanquini class action lays out the financial detail in the court filing itself. StubHub paid an Andro Capital affiliate approximately $1.6 million in 2023 in connection with ticket inventory, and in 2024 arranged for an Andro affiliate, Colloquy Capital, to refer sellers for short-term financing to fund bulk ticket purchases for resale on the platform. The complaint quotes StubHub's own public language: it "does not own, possess, or sell tickets" and is merely "a technology platform that connects independent buyers and sellers" — while its SEC filings disclose the CEO's stake in the fund supplying much of that inventory. Industry researchers cited in the complaint estimate mass scalpers account for 70–80% of ticket inventory on major secondary platforms.

Music Business Worldwide · July 14, 2026

THE MERCURY NEWS

A California profile of Bradford Clements, the Menlo Park attorney who has become the leading legal advocate for fans wronged by StubHub. Clements was watching Paraguay play Turkey at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara when his phone started buzzing, not about the game, but with a flood of new requests from fans alleging StubHub had failed to deliver their World Cup tickets. Clements had already been battling the platform in arbitration before the tournament; the World Cup turned a steady stream of claims into a torrent. He has represented more than 170 customers in arbitration against StubHub and recovered approximately $1.5 million, telling reporters arbitration moves faster than class actions because "you're not having to wait for the court to decide whether you have a class."

The Mercury News · July 14, 2026

CBC NEWS

Mark Gallagher is more than fed up with StubHub. He's suing. After StubHub cancelled his $11,407 pair of prime seats for the June 18 Canada vs. Qatar match hours before kickoff despite repeated assurances, Gallagher received a refund but has now filed the first Canadian class action against the company, on behalf of ticket buyers across five provinces. "I just think the truth needs to come out on what's really going on here," he told CBC. "Missing the event, that outcome isn't measured in dollars. You never get to see it again." The suit follows similar actions already filed in New York and California.

CBC News · July 17, 2026

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced "An Act Relative to Closing the Great Divide between Ticket Prices and Affordability," the Great Divide Act, working in coordination with State Senator Dylan Fernandes to unify the state's ticketing reform push into a single proposal. The bill, named for Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan's chart-topping album, would cap resale prices at 110% of face value and fees at 10%, and ban speculative ticket sales. Massachusetts joins more than 20 other states that have introduced ticketing consumer protection bills this year, days after Washington, D.C.'s council unanimously passed the RESALE Act.

The Hollywood Reporter · July 16, 2026

BILLBOARD

Noah Kahan lent his voice to Massachusetts's ticketing reform push, appearing via video at Governor Healey's State House announcement of the Great Divide Act, named for Kahan's 2026 Billboard 200 No. 1 album. The bill caps resale prices at 110% of face value and secondary platform fees at 10%, and bans speculative ticket sales. Kahan previously backed Vermont's successful resale cap law, signed by Governor Phil Scott in May, making Vermont the second state to pass such legislation after Maine. More than 20 other states have introduced ticketing consumer protection bills this year.

Billboard · July 16, 2026

CBC NEWS

Freedom of information documents obtained by CBC reveal customer complaint logs StubHub was forced to hand over to B.C.'s consumer protection agency during a 2024 investigation into Taylor Swift's Vancouver Eras Tour ticket sales — "heartbreak, panic, anger," in the words of the report. One mother who paid $5,100 to take her daughters wanted her money back but doubted she'd get it. Consumer Protection BC found StubHub failed to disclose obstructed-view seating and customers' right to a full refund rather than just a credit; the case settled in March 2026 with StubHub agreeing to refund affected fans and pay $8,500 in fees. AG Niki Sharma cited this exact case as precedent when she opened the current investigation into StubHub's World Cup ticket cancellations.

Jason Proctor · CBC News · July 15, 2026

CBC NEWS INVESTIGATES

CBC's investigative team caught StubHub in a direct contradiction. StubHub spokesperson Jack Sterne told CBC "StubHub does not allow speculative tickets, period." CBC then found World Cup ghost tickets were listed on StubHub as far back as August 2024 — a full year before FIFA issued any real seats. Jeremy Wright of Austin bought his pair on September 3, 2025, a week before FIFA's official release date. To test StubHub's controls, CBC then listed two fake 2028 Summer Olympics tickets on the platform for $2 each. StubHub asked for no real ticket, no seat number, and no row — just a credit card and a checkbox. The 2028 LA Olympics confirmed those tickets are not verified. StubHub is on record opposing California AB 1349 and funding a campaign to defeat it.

Dave Seglins, Aloysius Wong, Kathleen Coughlin · CBC News Investigates · July 3, 2026

BBC NEWS

Sergio Enrique Alvarado Montalvo flew his parents from Mexico to Dallas for the Argentina vs. Austria match as a Father's Day surprise, spending $1,700 on StubHub tickets and nearly $6,000 on travel and hotels. One day before departure, StubHub said the seller couldn't deliver. The family stood outside the stadium anyway, Montalvo on the phone to StubHub until an hour before kickoff. Eben Pingree of Boston faced the same on match day after his wife paid $2,800 to surprise their 11-year-old son Cole for Scotland vs. Haiti. Attorney Bradford Clements, who represents clients with over $2.4 million in StubHub claims, told the BBC the company's strategy is to "intimidate you, defer you, and deny you." Scott Friedman has compiled more than 600 complaints from this tournament alone.

Sergio Montalvo · Dallas, TX / Eben & Cole Pingree · Boston, MA

CBC NEWS

U.S. fans filed a proposed class action in Manhattan federal court Tuesday night, accusing StubHub of failing to deliver World Cup tickets and seeking at least $5 million in damages for thousands of buyers. The complaint says fans "did not get what they paid for" and were "lied to" into purchasing tickets "for large sums of money, only to incur tremendous financial losses." A 20-year ticketing industry veteran called the situation "one of the biggest collapses in the history of ticketing." The lawsuit cites violations of consumer protection and false advertising laws. StubHub did not respond to requests for comment.

CBC News · July 1, 2026

THE GUARDIAN

A consumer guide surveyed lawyers and advocates on what fans can actually do once StubHub cancels a ticket, and the picture isn't good. "Comparable" replacement tickets are decided entirely at StubHub's discretion, and most buyers can't sue thanks to forced-arbitration clauses tied to a dispute-notice address the company keeps changing. Sports Fans Coalition director Brian Hess summed up the underlying problem, saying the system fails consumers at every level it touches.

Brian Hess, Sports Fans Coalition

CBC NEWS

British Columbia's attorney general opened a formal inquiry into StubHub after a CBC News investigation exposed mass World Cup ticket cancellations across Vancouver, Toronto, and other host cities. Vancouver's Kirat Malik had to buy a second set of tickets directly from FIFA after StubHub cancelled the ones she'd already paid for to see Canada play Qatar. Consumer Protection BC is now investigating whether StubHub broke the province's Ticket Sales Act, and Ontario regulators confirm StubHub has already been flagged for not meeting expectations under that province's law.

Kirat Malik · Vancouver, BC

REUTERS

Jeremy and Sarah Wright drove from Austin to Dallas for a Christmas-gift trip to see Netherlands vs. Japan, only for an email from StubHub five hours before kickoff to say their tickets couldn't be delivered. Reuters found Wright had bought on StubHub four days before FIFA's first official sales draw even opened, a strong sign the listing was speculative from the start. When he tried to claim the promised replacement under FanProtect, the only option StubHub actually gave him was a refund.

Jeremy & Sarah Wright · Austin, TX

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Georgette Luna spent $3,000 on tickets for herself, her husband, and her father to see Brazil play Haiti in Philadelphia as a Father's Day trip. The seller never transferred the tickets despite StubHub repeatedly promising they'd "transfer on the day of the game." The family stood outside Lincoln Financial Field as the match played without them, then rode the train home empty-handed.

Georgette Luna · Philadelphia, PA

NBC4 LOS ANGELES

StubHub users across the LA market reported their World Cup tickets vanishing from the app entirely, not delayed, not downgraded, just gone. StubHub's response, once again, was to blame FIFA's technology rather than its own sellers. The story put the pattern in front of the exact California audience the legislature is now trying to protect.

Keenan Willard · NBC4 Los Angeles

POLITICO

The National Independent Venue Association and Fan Alliance sent a joint letter to Congressional leadership, citing nearly two dozen fan accounts and demanding a federal ban on speculative ticket sales. The letter names Dacy Gillespie, whose sons' Christmas-gift tickets never arrived, and Skylie Shore, who spent over $6,000 only to be locked outside the stadium on gameday.

NIVA & Fan Alliance letter to Congress

BUSINESS INSIDER

Jeroen Boersma flew from Denver to see his home country, the Netherlands, play in Dallas. The night before the match, StubHub said his tickets wouldn't be delivered. He ended up paying double the price for new ones on TickPick. He wasn't alone: two strangers sitting next to him in the stadium had been through the exact same thing.

Jeroen Boersma · Denver, CO

FAST COMPANY / AP

Bina Ramroop broke down in tears outside Atlanta Stadium when her $485 StubHub tickets, bought for her grandson's 13th birthday, wouldn't transfer. FIFA and StubHub blamed each other for hours. A sports law expert flagged that StubHub's "FanProtect Guarantee" lets the company choose a refund over real tickets at its "sole discretion," a clause one legal expert called "pretty explicit."

Bina Ramroop · Atlanta, GA

NEW YORK POST

Paola Hernández spent $6,000 so her 89-year-old grandfather, Chico Mendez, could see Mexico play in Guadalajara, the trip of his lifetime. The tickets never arrived. Chico broke down in tears outside the stadium as 45,000 fans roared inside, and ended up watching the match on a cellphone instead.

Paola Hernández & Chico Mendez · San Diego, CA

CBS

April Campbell bought 2 tickets for Scotland vs. Haiti for $1,438 in January. Days before the match, StubHub said no tickets were available for transfer. At the gate, the only offer was a refund. She bought 2 replacement tickets herself through the FIFA app for over $2,000. Total loss: nearly $4,000. The refund still hasn't come.

April Campbell · Foxboro, MA

CBC NEWS (CANADA)

Mark Gallagher of West Vancouver paid $11,380 CDN for premium seats to watch Canada play Qatar, a Christmas gift for family. The tickets never arrived despite weeks of calls. A ticketing industry veteran says he's personally gathered over 400 similar complaints, and a board member of NITO, a U.S. trade nonprofit, estimates thousands of fans are being affected every day.

Mark Gallagher · West Vancouver, BC

FOX 4 DALLAS

Ardas Sabunchyan bought tickets to Netherlands vs. Japan as a college graduation gift for his son Gregory, through Viagogo, a StubHub-owned platform. The day before the match, Viagogo said the tickets weren't available, and replacements cost more than what he'd already paid. The BBB gives Viagogo an F rating.

Ardas & Gregory Sabunchyan · North Texas