The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation, alleging deceptive pricing practices and collaboration with scalpers. The lawsuit claims Ticketmaster uses a "bait and switch" tactic with hidden fees, allows scalpers to circumvent purchase limits, and profits from reselling tickets. Seven states joined the FTC's complaint, accusing Ticketmaster of violating the Better Online Ticket Sales Act. The FTC estimates Ticketmaster collected $3.7 billion in resale fees from 2019-2024. This follows a 2024 Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit aiming to break up the companies.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.