“Yikes”: Internal emails reveal Ticketmaster helped scalpers jack up prices, FTC says Summary: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging complicity with scalpers to artificially inflate ticket prices on the secondary market, violating the FTC Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales Act. The complaint reveals Ticketmaster’s internal awareness and facilitation of ticket brokers circumventing purchase limits, hurting consumers and artists alike. --- Key Allegations: Collusion with Scalpers: Ticketmaster allegedly provided tech support and incentives to brokers using thousands of fake or purchased accounts to bypass ticket limits. From 2020-2024, a single broker managed over 13,000 accounts for large-scale purchases, making it nearly impossible for average fans to buy tickets at fair prices. “Blind Eye” Policy: Internal emails show Ticketmaster executives knowingly ignored brokerage abuses, prioritizing revenue from fees over consumer fairness. An executive admitted that ignoring scalpers became “a matter of policy.” Fee “Triple Dip”: Ticketmaster controls about 80% of major concert venues’ primary ticketing and a growing share of the secondary market. The company makes money by charging fees: At initial purchase From sellers on resale From buyers on resale From 2019 to 2024, Ticketmaster earned over $11 billion in fees, nearly $4 billion from resale fees alone. Discouraging Transparency: The FTC claims Ticketmaster used “bait-and-switch” pricing tactics to obscure final ticket costs, fearing a $50 million annual income loss if it adopted more transparent pricing. An internal program even rewarded engineers who optimized fee display to be less transparent. Profit from Markups: Ticketmaster allegedly unilaterally increased secondary market ticket prices, collecting an additional $187 million in markups from 2019 to 2024. For example: One broker bought 772 Coldplay tickets for $81,000, reselling them for $170,000. Another broker bought 612 Chris Stapleton tickets for $47,000, almost doubling resale prices. Customer and Artist Impact: Despite complaints from customers over fees and scalpers, and attempts by artists to control prices, Ticketmaster’s practices favored brokers and corporate revenue over fairness and access. --- FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson Statement: “American live entertainment is the best in the world and should be accessible to all of us. It should not cost an arm and a leg to take the family to a baseball game or attend your favorite musician’s show.” --- Legal Context and Implications: The lawsuit claims Ticketmaster and Live Nation engaged in illegal ticket resale tactics and deceptive practices harming consumers and artists. Seven states (Virginia, Utah, Florida, Tennessee, Nebraska, Illinois, Colorado) joined the suit seeking additional penalties, especially concerning elderly or disabled customers. Possible consequences include hefty damages for violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act and required changes to business practices. --- Background & Other Details: Employees occasionally flagged abusive broker behavior, but management prioritized fee income. Internal warnings about brokers’ rule-breaking were ignored or dismissed. Brokers complain about purchase limits, yet Ticketmaster allegedly supports broker tactics to boost their resale profits. In May 2025, Ticketmaster finally announced it would include fees in listed ticket prices, seemingly only after FTC threats of civil penalties. --- Author: Ashley Belanger, Senior Policy Reporter for Ars Technica, with 20 years of experience focusing on social impact of technology. --- Image Credit: Photo by Tom_Young67 | iStock Unreleased (Getty Images) --- Additional Notes: The article provides links to related coverage and a discussion forum for