IOC’s ticketing rules hit by EU antitrust complaint from German ticket marketplace

BRUSSELS - German online ticket marketplace Ticombo has filed a complaint about the International Olympic Committee to EU antitrust regulators, alleging that the IOC's ticketing rules block rival resale platforms and are anti-competitive.

Companies and athletes have increasingly turned to the EU antitrust watchdog with grievances about the power of sports-governing bodies in recent years, alleging that they abuse their dominance in breach of EU competition rules.

Ticombo said the issue is what it alleges is the IOC's exclusive monopoly over the resale of tickets for major sporting events, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the upcoming Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

"By restricting independent resale platforms, the IOC not only limits consumer choice but also undermines the natural balance of the market," Ticombo said, in a statement.

"Fans who can no longer attend an event are forced to use the IOC's exclusive resale platform, where strict conditions force tickets to be resold at face value plus a platform fee, even when demand is low," it said.

Ticombo, which said it allows ticket sales below face value, alleged that the IOC policy unfairly excludes rival resale platforms and results in inflated prices.

The European Commission, which acts as the competition enforcer in the 27-country European Union, said it had received the complaint and would assess it under its standard procedures.

The IOC said it has only seen the news in the media and would not comment on such reports.

Ticombo filed a similar complaint in 2024 about Uefa to the commission following Euro 2024. REUTERS