One Company Controls Live Events – Fans Pay the Price.
Ticket prices are up 151% –
but that’s just the beginning.
Live Nation has financial stake in everything, to pick your pockets everywhere.
Thirsty?
Your only option might be overpriced Liquid Death – Live Nation has an ownership stake.
Phone dying?
Live Nation makes money off the fee you pay to use a charging kiosk.
Hungry?
Expect inflated food prices at onsite restaurants Live Nation has a stake in.
Driving to the stadium?
Be sure to spare some change for Live Nation’s parking pass.
Ticketmaster’s Monopoly Puts Profits and VIPs Over Everyday Fans
Ticketmaster policies expand their dominance and increase their profit margins by prioritizing VIPs at the expense of everyday fans, who are left paying more and getting less.
These Include:
Taking away fan rights to sell or share the tickets they own
Utilizing pre-sales locked behind fancy credit cards & memberships
Hiding ticket inventory, creating a false sense of scarcity to increase prices.
Big Plans to Price Out Average Fans:
“We’re getting 20%, 30% returns…when we turn that grassy area into a VIP club,” CEO Rapino explains, adding more money could be made by focusing on “premium experiences.”
Monopoly Behaving Badly
Years of record earnings and bullying tactics by Live Nation/Ticketmaster haven’t gone unnoticed.
2010
50 members of the U.S. House and 19 state AGs raise alarms about creating a live event monopoly.
2019
DOJ finds that LNE/TM violated merger terms by pressuring venues into exclusive contracts.
2022
DOJ launches ongoing investigation into potential violation of antitrust laws by LNE/TM and their anti-competitive behavior.
2023
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) says “Live Nation has egregiously stonewalled my Subcommittee’s inquiry into its abusive consumer practices – making the subpoena necessary.”
2024
The US DOJ is joined by a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general in lawsuit, alleging the monopoly’s anti-competitive behavior has hurt competition, leading to higher fees for consumers.
2026
After months of aligning themselves with Trump insiders, LNE/TM’s efforts paid off when Trump’s DOJ settled the case in court with little more than a slap on the wrist and no meaningful consumer protections. California AG Rob Bonta, joined by a bipartisan coalition of 32 states and the District of Columbia, rejected the settlement and vowed to pursue a better deal for fans.