Live Nation Entertainment reached a settlement with the Trump Justice Department to resolve an antitrust lawsuit, while internal Slack messages unsealed in court revealed derogatory comments about customers and high ancillary fees by company employees. The messages surfaced two days after the company agreed to cap ticketing service fees at 15% and divest itself of certain exclusive arrangements as part of the settlement.
Key Takeaways
Live Nation settled an antitrust lawsuit with the Justice Department while internal Slack messages revealed employees mocking customers as 'stupid' and bragging about high fees. The settlement caps ticket service fees at 15% and requires divestment of exclusive arrangements.
- Live Nation settles DOJ antitrust suit, avoids forced Ticketmaster sale
- Internal Slack messages show employees mocking customers, boasting excessive fees
- Ben Baker promoted despite derogatory comments; both he and Jeff Weinhold still employed
- Settlement caps ticket service fees at 15%, requires divestment of exclusive deals
- Over two dozen states continue legal action against Live Nation
In Slack messages from late 2021 through early 2023, Ben Baker, then a regional director of ticketing for Live Nation's amphitheater division in Florida, mocked customers as 'so stupid' and bragged about charging high fees. In one message, Baker wrote, "robbing them blind baby... that's how we do it." He also mentioned charging $50 to park in the grass and $60 for closer grass.
Baker has since been promoted to head of ticketing for Live Nation with responsibilities relating to all of its venues. Both Baker and Jeff Weinhold, another employee involved in the Slack messages, still work for the company according to court filings. The settlement avoids a potential forced sale of Ticketmaster but requires Live Nation to change how it makes ticketing deals with venues.
Live Nation stated that it would be 'looking into the matter promptly' and that the Slack exchange did not reflect its values or operations. The company argued in court filings that the messages were "off-the-cuff banter, not... facts of consequence." However, government lawyers insist the messages are relevant evidence in the ongoing antitrust case.
A Live Nation employee admitted to turning a blind eye when brokers were buying up big blocks of tickets. In January 2022 Slack messages between Baker and Weinhold, both regional ticketing directors at the time, discussed an outside ticket broker purchasing all available wheelchair-accessible seats for an upcoming Kid Rock concert. The chat logs appeared to undermine Live Nation’s claim that "artists should have the final say in how tickets reach their fans across all platforms in the live event ecosystem." Weinhold replied, "Yeah if they listed right away .. cancel them."
Live Nation and Ticketmaster are accused of charging exorbitant ticket prices and stacking the deck against potential rivals. The settlement includes a $280 million fund to settle state claims. A coalition of states is still pursuing the case, with New York Attorney General Letitia James stating, "We will keep fighting this case without the federal government so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation’s monopoly."
The lawsuit against Live Nation was originally brought in 2024 under the Biden administration. More than two dozen states joined the Justice Department in the antitrust lawsuit and have vowed to continue legal action if they cannot reach their own settlement.
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