US EditionLive Nation employee mocks customers as ‘so stupid’ in internal messages released in court case
Internal 2022 Slack messages reveal Live Nation ticketing directors bragged about charging excessive ancillary fees and mocking customers, amid ongoing federal antitrust scrutiny.
- On Wednesday, court filings showed Judge Arun Subramanian ordered the release of 2022 Slack messages between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold in the case, after Live Nation argued they were irrelevant.
- The U.S. Department of Justice antitrust division filed its 2024 lawsuit against Live Nation, which sought to keep Slack exchanges sealed, claiming they were irrelevant and informal banter.
- Ben Baker, regional ticketing director, wrote 'I gouge them on ancil prices', boasting about charging $50 to park in the grass and $60 for closer grass while calling concertgoers 'these people are so stupid'.
- The settlement requires Live Nation to pay $200 million, open Ticketmaster tech to third parties, limit exclusivity, and cap amphitheater fees at 15%, but over two dozen states rejected it as inadequate.
- Plaintiff states argued the messages show Live Nation monetizes its amphitheater monopoly by imposing fees that degrade fan experience, and if unresolved, the trial could resume next week with ongoing state actions.
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64 Articles
‘These people are so stupid’: Texts between Live Nation employees revealed in court documents - Boston News, Weather, Sports
As Massachusetts continues its anti-trust case against Live Nation, new court documents show employees at the ticketing company bragged about “robbing” customers. The messages were released by a judge as part of a lawsuit between Live Nation and the federal government, along with dozens of states. The Department of Justice and Live Nation agreed on a settlement this week, but the group of states, including Massachusetts, has not. The texts are b…
Live Nation Entertainment Inc.'s internal chats, which owns Ticketmaster, reveal how managers made fun of fans with abusive fees, such as charging $50 for parking on grass and 60 for nearby spaces. "These people are so stupid. I almost feel bad about taking advantage of it."Ben Baker and Jeff WeinholdThe messages, dated 2022, are part of the evidence in the antitrust lawsuit filed in the United States against the company for alleged abuse of pow…
Live Nation's Internal Chats Expose Controversial Fee Practices
Internal Slack messages exchanged by two senior Live Nation ticketing directors have been made public through a federal court, revealing employees describing their own company's fee practices in terms that will be difficult for Live Nation's legal team to explain away: 'These people are so stupid. I almost feel bad taking advantage of them.' The messages, running from late 2021 through early 2023, were first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed b…
Small exchanges between two former Live Nation executives have been made public.
Messages Show Live Nation Staffers Mocking 'Stupid' Fans
Live Nation's public line that it values fans just took a hit from its own Slack, the New York Times reports. Newly unsealed messages between two regional ticketing directors show them joking about "gouging" concertgoers for parking and VIP upgrades, calling customers "so stupid" for paying and boasting they were...
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