Sen. Eric Schmitt Plans Ticket‑Fee Transparency Bill Amid Rising Sports Costs

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., says he has drafted legislation under the Senate Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction to increase transparency around ticket fees and tackle what he calls hidden charges in the secondary market for sports tickets. In a recent interview, Schmitt cited Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing admissions for sporting events have risen 123% since 2000 and argued that consumers are 'kind of getting ripped off' by opaque add‑on fees from companies such as Ticketmaster and resellers. He said the bill would focus on making clear where fees come from and limiting practices that let 'a lot of actors' take advantage of fans who want to see their teams in person. The article notes that musician Kid Rock testified at a January Senate Commerce Committee hearing that price gouging is pushing fans into expensive resale markets, and that separately the FCC has opened a proceeding to take public comment on the shift of live sports from broadcast TV to streaming services, which is also driving up viewing costs. The push reflects growing political scrutiny of both live‑event ticketing and sports media distribution as fans vent online about soaring prices at every step, from streaming subscriptions to in‑stadium attendance.