Ticketmaster considering plan to require concertgoers to verify COVID-19 vaccination, or negative test

Update

Nov. 13, 2020 5 a.m. ET: Ticketmaster told the BBC Friday that while they are considering plans to make concerts safe for all, they cannot force concertgoers to get a vaccination.

“Ticketmaster does not have the power to set policies around safety/entry requirements, which would include vaccines and/or testing protocols,” the company told the BBC in a statement.

“That is up to the discretion of the event organizer. Ticketmaster continues to work with event organizers on all COVID safety measures and it will be up to each event organizer to set future requirements, based on their preferences and local health guidelines.”

It said the plan discussed in Billboard was one of many “potential ideas” it was exploring to enable the return of live music.

Original story:

Looking to a time when a coronavirus vaccine will be available, Ticketmaster is considering a plan that would require concertgoers to verify that they have either had a COVID-19 vaccination or show proof that they have tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

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The digital ticket seller says it is working on a plan that would use a combination of its digital ticket app, third-party health information providers and vaccine distribution providers to make the concert environment as safe as possible.

The verification of a vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test would have to come in a 24- to 72-hour window prior to the concert for a person to be able to attend, according to a story from Billboard.

If a vaccination is available, concertgoers would either have to prove they have had the vaccination or would have to take a COVID-19 test under timelines set forth by the area where the concert takes place.

Once a person is tested, he or she would have to instruct the lab that performed the test to deliver the results to a health pass company, or a company that reports health information to third parties.

The health pass company would inform Ticketmaster about the status of the test by linking the test results to the concertgoer’s digital ticket.

If the person tests negative, he or she would then be granted credentials that allow them into the concert venue. Likewise, if a person has been vaccinated, the health pass company would inform Ticketmaster of that fact.

“We’re already seeing many third-party health care providers prepare to handle the vetting -- whether that is getting a vaccine, taking a test, or other methods of review and approval — which could then be linked via a digital ticket so everyone entering the event is verified,” Ticketmaster President Mark Yovich told Billboard.

“Ticketmaster’s goal is to provide enough flexibility and options that venues and fans have multiple paths to return to events, and is working to create integrations to our API and leading digital ticketing technology as we will look to tap into the top solutions based on what’s green-lit by officials and desired by clients,” he said.

Ticketmaster has not finalized the plan, according to the story, with several parts of it still being developed.

News of the Ticketmaster plan comes days after Pfizer said results from a Phase 3 trial shows its vaccine is more than 90% effective against the COVID-19 virus.

Click here to read the story.

Cox Media Group