US Regulators Sue Ticketmaster and Live Nation Over Alleged Illegal Ticket Resale Scheme
US regulators have filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, accusing them of working with ticket brokers to inflate prices and reap billions of dollars in illegal profits from concertgoers.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), joined by seven states, alleges that the entertainment giant conspired with brokers to acquire tickets for high-demand events and resell them at significantly higher prices on Ticketmaster’s own platform. This practice, regulators say, violated consumer protection laws and cost fans millions of dollars.
According to the complaint, Live Nation and Ticketmaster generated $3.7 billion (£2.7 billion) in resale fees between 2019 and 2024 through these tactics.
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson condemned the companies’ actions, saying,
“American live entertainment is the best in the world and should be accessible to all of us. It should not cost an arm and a leg to take the family to a baseball game or attend your favorite musician’s show.”
The lawsuit claims that while artists often set limits on the number of tickets an individual buyer can purchase, Ticketmaster routinely ignored violations by brokers. These brokers — who are professional resellers — allegedly used automated systems or multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions and stockpile tickets, later reselling them at steep markups.
Ticketmaster’s resale function, a popular feature on its website, charges sellers a fee each time a ticket is resold. Regulators argue this gave the company a financial incentive to enable brokers’ activity, describing it as a “tacit agreement” that harmed consumers.
The FTC also accuses Ticketmaster of deceptive advertising, alleging that the company promotes lower initial ticket prices, only for customers to face significantly higher costs after added fees at checkout.
Neither Ticketmaster nor Live Nation has commented publicly on the lawsuit.
The ticketing giant controls about 80% of ticket sales for major concert venues in the US and has long been the target of criticism for high prices and lack of competition. Public outrage peaked in 2022 when Ticketmaster’s website crashed during the presale for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, leaving millions of fans frustrated and highlighting its dominance over the live entertainment industry.
The new lawsuit comes as Live Nation faces separate antitrust litigation from the US Department of Justice (DOJ), which last year accused the company of using unlawful tactics to maintain a monopoly over live music. The DOJ’s case alleges that Live Nation’s vertically integrated business — promoting concerts, selling tickets, and owning venues — has stifled rivals and driven up costs for consumers.
Earlier this year, a federal judge rejected Live Nation’s attempt to dismiss the DOJ case. At the time, former Attorney General Merrick Garland called for the company to be broken up to restore competition in the industry.
Live Nation was formed in 2010 through the merger of Ticketmaster and events promoter Live Nation, a deal that critics now say gave the combined entity unchecked power over the live music ecosystem.
The FTC’s lawsuit adds to the mounting legal challenges facing the company, which could reshape the future of ticket sales and the live events business in the US.
