Ticketmaster and Live Nation hit with US lawsuit over ticket resale tactics

Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation are facing a major lawsuit from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and seven states over allegations of illegal ticket resale practices.

Regulators say the companies coordinated with brokers who used loopholes to scoop up concert tickets in bulk, only to resell them at steep markups on Ticketmaster’s own platform.

According to the FTC, these practices generated $3.7 billion in resale fees between 2019 and 2024, leaving fans paying inflated prices for access to concerts and events. Ticketmaster, which controls about 80% of major U.S. concert venues, has long faced criticism for high fees and lack of competition in the live events industry.

The company also stands accused of deceptively advertising lower prices than what fans ultimately pay, further fueling consumer frustration. The scrutiny intensified in 2022 during the chaotic rollout of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets, when website crashes and limited availability exposed the scale of Ticketmaster’s influence.

Live Nation has denied wrongdoing, but the FTC says its dominant position has made it a “gatekeeper” for live entertainment.