A hot ticket? Why Viagogo’s acquisition of StubHub is no sure thing

The secondary ticketing market is facing calls for regulation, artists are unhappy and the competition is only increasing, writes James Moore

Viagogo is buying rival StubHub for $4bn (Alamy)

A sport or music fan’s nightmare? A lot of people will see the acquisition of StubHub, the secondary ticketing website, by rival Viagogo in those terms.

Consumer group Which? certainly thinks so, saying that “any move to increase [Viagogo’s] grip on the secondary ticketing sector is likely to be a worry for consumers”, citing “its long history of ripping off music and sports fans”.

With a $4bn (£3.1bn) price tag, it’s a fancy ticket. A hot one? That’s an interesting question. But for regulators the deal could certainly be described as a hot potato.