The Federal Trade Commission, joined by attorneys general from seven states, filed a sweeping lawsuit on September 18, 2025, against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster. The case, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, represents the latest chapter in growing government scrutiny of the nation’s dominant ticketing platform.
At the heart of the complaint are allegations of deception and unfair practices. The FTC accuses Ticketmaster of using “bait-and-switch” tactics in its pricing—advertising tickets at one rate, then tacking on mandatory fees late in the checkout process that can increase the total price by more than forty percent. The complaint also highlights Ticketmaster’s alleged role in facilitating illegal bulk purchases by ticket brokers, pointing to evidence that the company knew of large-scale circumvention of ticket limits by certain ticket “brokers” yet allowed these brokers to do so, disadvantaging ordinary fans by blocking them from buying a reasonable number of tickets through the primary sale window, while generating substantial and unconscionable revenue from broker markups on resale. According to the government, five brokers controlled more than 6,300 Ticketmaster accounts and held nearly 250,000 tickets to over 2,500 events.
The suit seeks civil penalties and monetary relief, with the potential to force significant changes in how Ticketmaster structures its ticketing and resale systems. Notably, this case is distinct from the Department of Justice’s 2024 antitrust action against Live Nation, which focuses on monopoly power and possible structural remedies. The FTC’s lawsuit instead zeroes in on deceptive fees and the alleged enabling of unlawful reseller practices under the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act.
Seven state attorneys general—representing Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia—joined the FTC’s action. Each of these states invokes its own consumer protection laws, asserting violations for deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, and misleading statements, particularly with respect to how Ticketmaster advertises prices and enforces ticket-purchase limits. Their participation not only broadens the legal theories available to the government but also underscores the geographic and political diversity of concern: from states with vibrant live entertainment industries like Tennessee and Florida, to those emphasizing broader consumer protection priorities like Colorado and Illinois.
The complaint alleges that between 2019 and 2024, consumers paid more than $16.4 billion in mandatory fees to Ticketmaster, often revealed only late in the transaction. Some of these fees increased the final price of a ticket by as much as 44% compared to the advertised amount. Ticketmaster, which controls roughly 80% of primary ticketing for major concert venues, is accused of profiting at multiple stages of the ticketing process, both in initial sales and in resale transactions enabled by its own platform.
The litigation also reflects a broader enforcement trend against “drip pricing,” where companies disclose mandatory fees only late in the purchasing process. Regulators across industries, from air travel to online marketplaces, have begun targeting these practices as deceptive. By applying the theory here, the FTC is sending a message that platforms which dominate consumer-facing markets cannot rely on hidden charges and permissive reseller relationships to drive profits.
For Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the case presents serious risks to their business model. The court could order a massive overhaul as to how Ticketmaster structures its platform and how much transparency it must provide into its resale pipeline – likely to the glee of any fans who have ever felt cheated by Ticketmaster’s current practices.
For these fans, the lawsuit highlights longstanding frustrations with hidden fees and ticket scarcity. For businesses generally, this lawsuit signals regulators’ growing willingness to test new enforcement strategies in high-visibility industries. Whether the case ends in settlement or a prolonged trial, its outcome will shape the regulatory environment for digital marketplaces well beyond the live entertainment sector.
At Grellas Shah LLP, we’ll continue tracking how this case develops and what it could mean for businesses navigating federal and state enforcement in digital commerce.
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