Mar 14, 2026
3 min read
In Slack messages released during the DOJ's antitrust lawsuit against the concert-ticketing company, employees gleefully describe how they fleeced fans.
Every so often, a company comes along that is so universally hated that hating it together becomes an almost bonding experience for its customers.Ticketmaster has already been a clear example of the myriad of opaque surcharges, alleged partnerships with brokers, and anti-competitive practices that have kept it in court over the past 30 years.But the company's customer experience reached new levels of satisfaction when it launched in 2009. It was integrated with Live Nation in
An unholy and exclusive combination that has never seen the light of day in a country with real regulatory scrutiny, this new hybrid company (Live Nation Entertainment) controls the venue and ticket sales.Concert goers have fewer options than the overpayments that Ticketmaster Live Nation demands or loses their favorite artists.
Of course, these bad practices eventually led to a resistance movement.It was submitted to the Nation Live 2024 DOJ - then involved in 30 states - the case was given to the agency that manages 80% of the first tickets for concerts in major venues with recording artists in exclusive promotions and long-term contract venues.Beginning this week, the ordeal is over, pending a judge's approval.The controversial statement indicates that the companies will not break up or even be forced to do anything to change their business - there are only agreements such as allowing venues to sell more tickets and not forcing artists to use their advertising services to play at one of their own amphitheatres.Thankfully, several state attorneys are ready to pursue separate lawsuits against Live Nation, which will go before the same jury on Monday, March 16.
Perhaps because of how bad this proposed settlement is for fans and artists, new details have emerged from federal prosecutors' actions that have breathed new life into our collective hatred of Live Nation.In a series of Slack messages from 2021 to 2023 filed with the court, two of Live Nation's regional ticket managers, Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, brag about the various ways they fail customers, which they refer to as "pretty stupid."
"Stealing from the blind".
After Baker admitted he “gouged [fans] on ancil[lary] prices” to make up for a rise in base seat price, Weinhold chimed in that his preferred swindle was “preferred seating baby.”
In a statement, Live Nation fired the co
But that exchange certainly feels like an accurate representation of the LiveNation/Ticketmaster experience for anyone using their service.After all, they have been suing like this since the 2009 merger.
Maybe they'll turn over a new leaf this time.Or maybe people with less and less discretionary income will begin to turn away from live music altogether, and corporate greed will once again destroy one of life's joys.Either way, we all have seats to see how this saga ends.
