This article appeared in Entertainment Law & Finance, your monthly source for real-world news and strategy from major players in entertainment, contract and intellectual property law — serious analysis of the issues and case law that affect your practice.

The November 2022 tech meltdown of online access that slowed or barred consumers from buying tickets from Ticketmaster for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, her first since 2018 and the largest one-day ticket demand Ticketmaster had ever faced, generated worldwide coverage and outrage from her fans. But the incident also resulted in a sizzling convergence of many of the issues that have plagued online sales of live events for years.