Antitrust and Corporate Power

Newly released court documents in the federal antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster reveal internal Slack messages in which two regional directors bragged about "robbing" customers through high-priced VIP and "premier" parking, calling concertgoers "so stupid" as they discussed fees as high as $250. The exchanges, between Florida-based employee Ben Baker and Virginia ticketing overseer Jeff Weinhold, were admitted over Live Nation’s objections after the company argued they were private remarks that should be excluded. Live Nation told Fox News Digital the comments from what it called a "junior staffer" do not reflect company values, said leadership only learned of them when they became public, and claimed they appear to show employees going over internal fee caps. The disclosures come just after the Justice Department and Live Nation announced a tentative settlement of the DOJ’s 2024 antitrust suit accusing the company of maintaining an illegal monopoly over live events, with Live Nation agreeing to pay around $200 million in damages, cap amphitheater ticketing service fees at 15%, and open its venues to outside promoters for up to half the tickets. The messages are already provoking anger online from fans who have long complained about opaque fees and price spikes, reinforcing political and public pressure for stricter oversight of the live-entertainment ticketing business.