U.S. to file antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation

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BassCowboy33
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7:00a, 4/16/24
I'm not sure this is wholly surprising, considering the craziness surrounding event ticketing over the past year and how long this has been on people's radar, but the federal government is stepping in. There's nary a person who has escaped the claws of the ticket fiascos over the years. It'll be interesting to see if it meets the definition of "monopoly".

U.S. to go after Live Nation, price gouging

Quote:
The agency is preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against the Ticketmaster parent in the coming weeks that would allege the nation's biggest concert promoter has leveraged its dominance in a way that undermined competition for ticketing live events, according to people familiar with the matter.
Quote:
the company has faced accusations of exorbitant ticket fees, flawed customer service and anticompetitive practices from lawmakers, regulators and state attorneys general.
Quote:
Ticketmaster now holds more than 80% of the market for primary ticket sales in the biggest venues in the U.S. It has exclusive ticketing contracts with many of the stadiums and arenas where high-profile acts perform.
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techno-ag
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7:01a, 4/16/24
AG
Somewhere Taylor Swift has a song about this.
The left cannot kill the Spirit of Charlie Kirk.
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Trajan88
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7:11a, 4/16/24
AG
There have been instances where I have not bought tickets to concerts when got to the fees and service charges lines on the billing page.

Then I get e-mails stating "would you like to complete your purchase?"

That would be "No!"
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CS78
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7:38a, 4/16/24
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.
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4stringAg
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7:40a, 4/16/24
AG
I found some old concert ticket stubs from my days as a youth in San Antonio in the 80s. Prices ranged anywhere from $12 to $25. You couldn't even log on to the Ticketmaster website for that much these days.
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Muy
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In reply to CS78 • 7:45a, 4/16/24
AG
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
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Cinco Ranch Aggie
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In reply to Muy • 7:46a, 4/16/24
AG
Muy said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
How so? Nothing in that post is untrue.
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DDub74
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7:48a, 4/16/24
They are a monopoly and makes millions jacking up prices. Forget them and hope the government sticks it in them. They have screwed me several times.
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Muy
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In reply to Cinco Ranch Aggie • 7:48a, 4/16/24
AG
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Muy said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
How so? Nothing in that post is untrue.


The world needs live music, wanting it shouldn't be considered a luxury item and it should never have these fees piled on top.
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BassCowboy33
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In reply to CS78 • 7:50a, 4/16/24
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.

Edit:

People like live music. There's an argument that they're only option to see it is through a company that's drastically inflating prices due to lack of competition. Not sure I'd qualify going to concerts as a "luxury item".
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Kenneth_2003
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In reply to Cinco Ranch Aggie • 7:55a, 4/16/24
AG
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Muy said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
How so? Nothing in that post is untrue.


How so?
It has zero bearing on the discussion. It's no different than IPA snobbery on the Bud Light advertising thread. It's derailing masquerading as virtue signaling.
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BassCowboy33
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In reply to Kenneth_2003 • 7:57a, 4/16/24
Kenneth_2003 said:
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Muy said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
How so? Nothing in that post is untrue.


How so?
It has zero bearing on the discussion. It's no different than IPA snobbery on the Bud Light advertising thread. It's derailing masquerading as virtue signaling.


Total sidebar on my own thread, but IPA snobs are woooorst.
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mickeyrig06sq3
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7:58a, 4/16/24
AG
Depends how deep they start digging. LiveNation has control over both ticket sales and venue scheduling. If a band doesn't want to use TicketMaster, then LiveNation makes sure they can't use any of the major venues because those venues don't want to be blackballed. They were also previously owned by iHeartMedia and were only spun off in 2019. If there's collusion between those two companies, you basically have a vertical and horizontal monopoly that controls everything by being able to manipulate:

1. What venues a band can play at if the band decides to sell tickets via alternate means.
2. What festivals a band can play at (C3 Events).
3. A venue's ability to host future events if they decide that they want to allow a band to play there if the band didn't use TicketMaster to sell tickets.
4. A band's airplay (via iHeartMedia) to get a fanbase to buy tickets to their events.

[Edit] Oops, didn't know about their "Artist Nation" division that controls rights over a ton of popular bands.

Additional subsidiaries just for fun.
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CS78
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In reply to Muy • 7:58a, 4/16/24
Muy said:
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Muy said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
How so? Nothing in that post is untrue.


The world needs live music, wanting it shouldn't be considered a luxury item and it should never have these fees piled on top.


There's tons of good live music for free or close to it.
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Kenneth_2003
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8:01a, 4/16/24
AG
No doubt Ticket Master provides a legitimate service for venues large and small. No doubt it's a monumental task and consumers significant IT hardware, software, and personnel resources.

But my speculation is their fees WAY more than cover their costs, and their platforms continue to let bots and resellers acquire the majority of the tickets.

edit... Oh and no one is saying a word about State and Local Sales taxes that get slapped on those tickets
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Ag_0112358132134
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8:04a, 4/16/24
It's about time.
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ThunderCougarFalconBird
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In reply to mickeyrig06sq3 • 8:19a, 4/16/24
AG
mickeyrig06sq3 said:
Depends how deep they start digging. LiveNation has control over both ticket sales and venue scheduling. If a band doesn't want to use TicketMaster, then LiveNation makes sure they can't use any of the major venues because those venues don't want to be blackballed. They were also previously owned by iHeartMedia and were only spun off in 2019. If there's collusion between those two companies, you basically have a vertical and horizontal monopoly that controls everything by being able to manipulate:

1. What venues a band can play at if the band decides to sell tickets via alternate means.
2. What festivals a band can play at (C3 Events).
3. A venue's ability to host future events if they decide that they want to allow a band to play there if the band didn't use TicketMaster to sell tickets.
4. A band's airplay (via iHeartMedia) to get a fanbase to buy tickets to their events.

[Edit] Oops, didn't know about their "Artist Nation" division that controls rights over a ton of popular bands.

Additional subsidiaries just for fun.
pretty much this. They're about as monopolistic of a monopoly that you could conceive of. Trying NOT to use LiveNation will go over about as well as being a lawyer for Trump.

But in this case, the LiveNation settlement with the DoJ will be about as feckless as you expect. Minor sanction, reduced fees, and numerous government officials getting face-value Taylor Swift tickets they can re-sell for thousands on the aftermarket.
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Muy
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In reply to CS78 • 8:20a, 4/16/24
AG
CS78 said:
Muy said:
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Muy said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Odd take
How so? Nothing in that post is untrue.


The world needs live music, wanting it shouldn't be considered a luxury item and it should never have these fees piled on top.


There's tons of good live music for free or close to it.


Completely unrelated to the topic.
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McNasty
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8:31a, 4/16/24
AG
Ticketmaster has been one of the worst examples of another type of inflation - "fee-flation". This is where you are lured in by base prices that are almost reasonable, only to be hit with fees that are a ridiculous % of that base. Airlines seem to be adopting this model too.
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aggie93
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8:31a, 4/16/24
AG
Ticketmaster sucks. I can't imagine why they need to charge the fees they do, it's absolutely ridiculous.

On the bright side maybe fewer people will go out to see this kind of great entertainment.
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

Ronald Reagan
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Q-Tip 94
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8:34a, 4/16/24
AG
This issue is not just with Ticketmaster. All of the secondary ticket exchanges charge ridiculous fees. I bought a baseball ticket for tonight's game. $1 ticket. Out the door cost $8.46.
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TRM
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In reply to Trajan88 • 9:09a, 4/16/24
AG
Trajan88 said:
There have been instances where I have not bought tickets to concerts when got to the fees and service charges lines on the billing page.

Then I get e-mails stating "would you like to complete your purchase?"

That would be "No!"
Same. The fees are a killer.
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Gigem314
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In reply to aggie93 • 9:18a, 4/16/24
AG
aggie93 said:
Ticketmaster sucks. I can't imagine why they need to charge the fees they do, it's absolutely ridiculous.

On the bright side maybe fewer people will go out to see this kind of great entertainment.
Dude probably just needed an excuse to cut the set short because he's too old and drunk to get through it anyway. But he sure thinks highly of his fans. I doubt that audience was filled with a bunch of Trump supporters. Even they didn't want to hear the propaganda about Biden.
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agracer
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In reply to McNasty • 9:22a, 4/16/24
AG
McNasty said:
Ticketmaster has been one of the worst examples of another type of inflation - "fee-flation". This is where you are lured in by base prices that are almost reasonable, only to be hit with fees that are a ridiculous % of that base. Airlines seem to be adopting this model too.


Most of the airline fees are government mandated.

And when you view pricing it's shows the full price including all the fees on their website. For example if you search for a route, it will show $250. When you go to check out and pay, it will show the actual ticket is $190+x+y+z fees =$250.

That being said, they do seem to be asking if you want some extras (like Wi-Fi or "premium " seats).

Ticketmaster shows a price for a ticket, then when you go to check out it's 35-40% higher because of the hidden
fees.
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aggiejayrod
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In reply to agracer • 9:29a, 4/16/24
AG
agracer said:
McNasty said:
Ticketmaster has been one of the worst examples of another type of inflation - "fee-flation". This is where you are lured in by base prices that are almost reasonable, only to be hit with fees that are a ridiculous % of that base. Airlines seem to be adopting this model too.


Most of the airline fees are government mandated.

And when you view pricing it's shows the full price including all the fees on their website. For example if you search for a route, it will show $250. When you go to check out and pay, it will show the actual ticket is $190+x+y+z fees =$250.

That being said, they do seem to be asking if you want some extras (like Wi-Fi or "premium " seats).

Ticketmaster shows a price for a ticket, then when you go to check out it's 35-40% higher because of the hidden
fees.


The Spirit's of the world keep adding tons of little fees. Want more than a purse to carry on? Fee. Pick your seat? Fee. Print your ticket? Fee. Doors on the plane? Fee. White straight male pilot? Fee.
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DX2011
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In reply to BassCowboy33 • 9:31a, 4/16/24
AG
BassCowboy33 said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.

Edit:

People like live music. There's an argument that they're only option to see it is through a company that's drastically inflating prices due to lack of competition. Not sure I'd qualify going to concerts as a "luxury item".


Not just live music, with most sports teams having sold out venues due to season tickets, the only way I can go to an Astros, Texans or Aggie game is in the secondary market. It's not in our budget to do season tickets, so even a $30 ticket to the stros for 4 is almost $200 due to fees.
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malenurse
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In reply to CS78 • 9:52a, 4/16/24
AG
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.
You sound like you're a lot of fun at parties.
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txags92
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In reply to agracer • 12:31p, 4/16/24
AG
agracer said:
McNasty said:
Ticketmaster has been one of the worst examples of another type of inflation - "fee-flation". This is where you are lured in by base prices that are almost reasonable, only to be hit with fees that are a ridiculous % of that base. Airlines seem to be adopting this model too.


Most of the airline fees are government mandated.

And when you view pricing it's shows the full price including all the fees on their website. For example if you search for a route, it will show $250. When you go to check out and pay, it will show the actual ticket is $190+x+y+z fees =$250.

That being said, they do seem to be asking if you want some extras (like Wi-Fi or "premium " seats).

Ticketmaster shows a price for a ticket, then when you go to check out it's 35-40% higher because of the hidden
fees.
That premium seat crap just pisses me off and was part of why I liked flying SW until they became completely unreliable to get you anywhere on time. I hate how on United when the plane gets more than about 30 passengers ticketed, all the "free" seats are taken. So unless you want to roll the dice on getting the middle seat in the back row of the plane next to the lavatory, you are going to have to pay something to pick a seat. It wasn't as bad when I had preferred status and could get the upgrades a day or so ahead of time, but now that I am not preferred, I have to wait until checkin to see what is available. Just gets more annoying every time I fly.

Just raise your damn prices on the ticket and quit nickel and diming everybody to death.
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Proposition Joe
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In reply to mickeyrig06sq3 • 12:38p, 4/16/24
mickeyrig06sq3 said:
Depends how deep they start digging. LiveNation has control over both ticket sales and venue scheduling. If a band doesn't want to use TicketMaster, then LiveNation makes sure they can't use any of the major venues because those venues don't want to be blackballed. They were also previously owned by iHeartMedia and were only spun off in 2019. If there's collusion between those two companies, you basically have a vertical and horizontal monopoly that controls everything by being able to manipulate:

1. What venues a band can play at if the band decides to sell tickets via alternate means.
2. What festivals a band can play at (C3 Events).
3. A venue's ability to host future events if they decide that they want to allow a band to play there if the band didn't use TicketMaster to sell tickets.
4. A band's airplay (via iHeartMedia) to get a fanbase to buy tickets to their events.

[Edit] Oops, didn't know about their "Artist Nation" division that controls rights over a ton of popular bands.

Additional subsidiaries just for fun.

This. This is the major point of the lawsuit.

It's not really about "service fees" and the like. Politicians talking about that are just pandering to their constituents. Whether a ticket is $50 + $50 fees or $100 + $0 in fees, it's still a $100 ticket. But the masses need to be told what "face value" so that that they... can decide if they can afford it?
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Proposition Joe
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In reply to Q-Tip 94 • 12:41p, 4/16/24
Q-Tip 94 said:
This issue is not just with Ticketmaster. All of the secondary ticket exchanges charge ridiculous fees. I bought a baseball ticket for tonight's game. $1 ticket. Out the door cost $8.46.

Why do you think that is?

Hint: The baseball team does not want you being able to buy a $1 ticket.

People think the venues and teams saying resellers are a problem are doing so because the marquee game is too expensive. It's not. It's because the non-marquee games are too cheap.
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Proposition Joe
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In reply to DX2011 • 12:42p, 4/16/24
DX2011 said:
BassCowboy33 said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.

Edit:

People like live music. There's an argument that they're only option to see it is through a company that's drastically inflating prices due to lack of competition. Not sure I'd qualify going to concerts as a "luxury item".


Not just live music, with most sports teams having sold out venues due to season tickets, the only way I can go to an Astros, Texans or Aggie game is in the secondary market. It's not in our budget to do season tickets, so even a $30 ticket to the stros for 4 is almost $200 due to fees.

So do you think that $50 out the door ticket will suddenly become $30 due to legislation?

Do you think raising minimum wage will make everything more affordable?
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AustinAg2K
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In reply to techno-ag • 12:45p, 4/16/24
techno-ag said:
Somewhere Taylor Swift has a song about this.


It's a collaboration with Pearl Jam.
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agwrestler
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In reply to CS78 • 1:43p, 4/16/24
AG
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Exactly! Here's your weekly reminder entertainment is not a necessity.
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aggiedent
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In reply to agwrestler • 1:55p, 4/16/24
AG
agwrestler said:
CS78 said:
Meh. Luxury item. Very easy to avoid the fees by not buying the overpriced trash to start with.


Exactly! Here's your weekly reminder entertainment is not a necessity.


God forbid that after working 40 hour weeks we do something we enjoy.
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Proposition Joe
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2:01p, 4/16/24
If you stop paying the high prices the artist is asking, they will lower prices.

The entertainment industry isn't somehow shielded from supply and demand.

The problem people have is people ARE paying these prices.
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