Live Nation’s antitrust trial will resume on Monday, despite the Department of Justice’s decision to settle its dispute over Ticketmaster’s practices for over $200 million last week. On Friday, attorneys general from more than 20 states withdrew their motion for a mistrial after declining to reach a settlement with Live Nation, and Judge Arun Subramanian said at a hearing that the trial will resume on Monday.
That’s about half the number of states that initially joined the federal government’s long-simmering lawsuit against Live Nation, as several states settled in the wake of the federal government’s agreement with the company.
The lawsuit was filed in 2024 by the U.S. Justice Department and joined initially by 40 state attorneys general. It accused Live Nation of illegally maintaining monopoly power as the nation’s largest concert promoter, ticket seller and amphitheater operator. Twenty-five of the states were also seeking damages, alleging Ticketmaster overcharges fans.
Before the announcement that the trial would resume, documents continued to make headlines. Most recently, conversations between two staffers boasting about overcharging customers – exactly what the trial was about.
Documents made public in New York’s Southern District court on Wednesday showed Slack-based conversations between two regional directors of ticketing, Jeff Weinhold and Ben Baker, as they discussed “price gouging” customers, calling them “so stupid” for purchasing tickets to events at inflated prices.
“I almost feel bad taking advantage of them,” Baker said before writing out a laugh, the documents state. In another instance, the pair discussed the prices for upgraded parking at their respective venues, one of which cost $250 a spot.
“Robbing them blind, baby … That’s how we do,” Baker added, further bragging about offering customers a $50 price tag to “park in the grass” and $10 more to get a spot on “closer grass.”
