- Who owns viagogo and where it came from
- What viagogo is and what it isn't
- The merger and what the CMA required
- What regulators and courts say about viagogo's record
- How to check viagogo prices and the guarantee
- Fake tickets and scams that use the viagogo name
- Verdict: is viagogo worth the risk
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, viagogo is a real company, a ticket resale platform founded in 2006 and now owned by StubHub Holdings. It isn't the venue or the artist's box office. The catch is that regulators and courts in several countries have challenged how it presented prices and tickets, so read every detail before you pay.
Few ticket sites split opinion like viagogo. Some people have used it for sold-out gigs without a hitch, and others have horror stories, so searching whether it's legit makes sense. I've gone through what Wikipedia records about the company and its run-ins with regulators, so you can see the facts rather than the arguments in comment sections.
Who owns viagogo and where it came from
According to Wikipedia, viagogo is an American ticket exchange and resale company. Eric Baker founded it in London in 2006 after leaving StubHub, which he co-founded. It moved its offices from the UK to Switzerland in 2012.
The ownership story changed in 2020, when viagogo bought StubHub for approximately 4.05 billion US dollars. Wikipedia says both brands are now owned by StubHub Holdings, with Baker as CEO, and that StubHub Holdings became a public company through an IPO in 2025. So behind the site is a large, listed business with a named boss, not an anonymous operation.
What viagogo is and what it isn't
This is the part many buyers miss. Viagogo is a resale platform, so the tickets come from other people rather than from the venue or the promoter. Think of it as a place where individual sellers and brokers list seats they already hold, and the site connects them to you.
That's why prices can sit well above the printed value, and why the face value on the ticket may not be what you pay. It's also why you should check the official box office first. If the event isn't sold out, the primary seller is usually the simpler and cheaper route.
The merger and what the CMA required
When viagogo bought StubHub, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) looked closely at the deal. Wikipedia says the CMA cleared the merger in 2021, on condition that StubHub sold its operations outside North America to Digital Fuel Capital. That's why StubHub International now sits under different ownership.
What regulators and courts say about viagogo's record
Viagogo has been challenged more than most of its rivals, so this section matters. Everything below comes from Wikipedia's record of the cases, and each one is a claim made by a regulator or a court at the time, not something I've re-investigated.
- In Australia, the competition regulator, the ACCC, sued over misleading use of the word official in advertising. Viagogo dropped the word in 2017, and the Federal Court fined it 7 million Australian dollars in 2020.
- In the UK in 2018, the Advertising Standards Authority referred viagogo to National Trading Standards over unclear fees. The complaint was withdrawn after website changes.
- Also in 2018, the CMA brought a High Court case. Later in 2018 the court sided with the CMA and ordered changes to how viagogo presents ticket information.
- In 2019, the CMA sought contempt of court charges for failing to comply with earlier orders, and suspended that action later in 2019.
- In New Zealand, the Commerce Commission sued under the Fair Trading Act. In 2024 the High Court ordered website and terms changes, and viagogo appealed.
None of that makes every purchase a bad one. It does tell you that official bodies have looked at fee presentation and ticket information, which are exactly the things you want clear before you hand over card details. If you want to judge how trustworthy any shop's praise is, my guide to spotting fake reviews helps you read what you find online.
How to check viagogo prices and the guarantee
I haven't quoted viagogo's own buyer guarantee or fee terms here because I couldn't read them in full, and I'm not going to paraphrase from memory. That's your job before you pay, and it only takes a few minutes. Open the help section on the official site and read these points:
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- What the guarantee covers and what you have to do to claim it.
- Whether the price you see at the start is the price you pay at the end.
- What happens if the event is cancelled or postponed.
- How and when the tickets are delivered or transferred to you.
- Who to contact if the seat isn't what the listing described.
Take a screenshot of the listing, the seat details and the final total at checkout. If something goes wrong, you'll have a record of what you were shown. Reading reviews with a clear head also helps, and my piece on which review sites shoppers can use explains what each type of site can and can't tell you.
| What I checked | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| Who founded it? | Eric Baker, in London in 2006 |
| Who owns it now? | StubHub Holdings, which also owns StubHub |
| Has it faced regulators? | Yes: Australia, the UK and New Zealand are all recorded |
| Did it pay a penalty? | A 7 million Australian dollar fine in Australia in 2020 |
| Is it the primary seller? | No, it's a resale platform |
| Do I need to read the terms? | Yes, guarantee, fees and delivery before paying |
Fake tickets and scams that use the viagogo name
Every big ticket brand gets impersonated, and viagogo is no exception. Scammers set up lookalike pages, message people on social media and sell tickets that don't exist. Keep to these habits:
- Buy inside the official site or app, with an address you typed yourself.
- Never pay a stranger by bank transfer or gift card, whatever story they tell.
- Ignore emails or texts saying your order has a problem and asking for your card details.
- Be wary of anyone offering viagogo tickets cheaper through a private message.
- If a seller wants to move the sale off the platform, walk away.
Verdict: is viagogo worth the risk
Viagogo is a real, large business with named owners, so it isn't a scam. But it's a resale platform with a long regulatory record, and that's a reason to be careful, not a reason to panic. Check the primary box office first, read the guarantee and the final price before you pay, keep screenshots and never take the sale outside the site.
Frequently asked questions
Is viagogo a real company?
Yes. According to Wikipedia, Eric Baker founded it in London in 2006, and it's now owned by StubHub Holdings, which also owns StubHub.
Is viagogo the official ticket seller?
No. It's a resale platform, so tickets come from other sellers rather than from the venue or promoter. Check the official box office as well.
Has viagogo been fined?
According to Wikipedia, the Federal Court in Australia fined viagogo 7 million Australian dollars in 2020 after the ACCC sued over misleading advertising.
What did the UK CMA say about viagogo?
Wikipedia records that in 2018 a High Court sided with the CMA and ordered changes to how viagogo presents ticket information.
How do I avoid fake tickets?
Buy inside the official site or app, never pay a stranger by bank transfer or gift card, and keep screenshots of the listing and final total.
