Whatever the details and the generally slimy behavior, this is all just more shallow jabber that appeals to the masses but is ultimately bullshit.
Say it once, say it a thousand times, it's legal scalping that fucks the ticketing scene, not any "monopoly" on ticketing systems.
Make reselling tickets over face illegal and be able to truly enforce that and the majority of the main problem and most of what folks are always whining about goes away.
Naturally not all the whining, because of course people are generally desperate to whine, but it's the major resale machine that is the real issue, and the people who understand that, know that.
>>>Why do you think LN aren't the ones insisting on a legal, enforceable, secondary resale price ceiling as a stipulation of settlement<<<
They actually have advocated for legislative reforms, including proposing or endorsing percentage caps (such as a 20% limit) on secondary ticket resale markups above face value, which isn't really that impressive but still addresses the point, and they also have a "Face Value Exchange" option that is up to the artist to invoke, which doesn't really solve anything but makes the artist (and promoter) look better.
>>>TM/LiveNation actually, literally scalp their own tickets<<<
I have no doubt that there are games being played, and once they joined the resale market with their "Verified Resale" operation and started their "Platinum Premium" program to cut into the billion dollar resale industry (as has every other event promoter, including those who use different ticketing companies) they've definitely profited from that, but even if they are doing it on a deeper, darker, broader scale as people are suggesting, i.e. immediately funneling most of the best seats directly to the resale market, how are they (and the other promoters/ticketing companies) pulling it off, since the artist has ultimate control of the face value of the tickets and how they're distributed?
Unless the artists are in cahoots, and if so why aren't they included in the general vitriol?
And if all that's true why hasn't the government exposed the evidence that the resale industry doesn't really exist and is just a smokescreen for LN/TM and other major promoters and ticketing companies to manipulate distribution and rip the public off?
But after all that, whoever is ultimately to blame and whoever is profiting most from the control bigtime scalping has on major event sales, I maintain that my repeated point is still absolutely correct...
Quit wasting time on this monopoly bullshit and effectively abolish resale of event tickets above face value and many if not most of the current issues people are complaining about will go away.
Counting on the government to do the right thing or evenly apply the law is a pipe dream. There's a reason why LN went to Trump. Rules are for little people.
> Effectively abolishing the resale of event tickets above face value, and many, if not most, of the current issues people are complaining about will go away.
I agree.
Maybe not allow buys over 6 tickets, too. There's always a workaround, I suppose.
Lance- Does the artist really have control over how the tix are distributed? Maybe artists should band together and create their own ticket sales company, but then how would the LN-controlled venues respond? I suspect "you can't play in our venues if we don't get to sell the tickets."
I doubt acts have much control over LN and their distribution tactics and I'm absolutely certain LN is making a shit ton of money from resale markets. They control the venues, distribution and pretty much all else & have enough counsel to make it very costly to fight.
Live Nation is the personification of enshitification that is sweeping American business. They will take any opportunity to squeeze and extra buck out of the market. My biggest complaint was when they sold three nights in SF as the last Dead & Co shows and got all that sweet dynamic pricing for the last show only to drop the real last show. If I was Attorney General I would have started a business fraud investigation for that alone. I will lose no sleep over whatever bad things happen to them just like when the old crappy taxi industry got destroyed by Uber.
But, they are not the reason for high ticket prices. They might be adding 20% to the costs but the reason is demand. I'm the youngest of five and my parents never went to a concert and I'm pretty sure my oldest brother and sister have hardly been either, but all that changed for those of us who grew up in the 70's. Now it would not be unusual to have three generations at a Stones or a U2 concert, but that sure as hell didn't happen in the 70's or 80's. There are just too damn many people who want to see concerts.
I remember when I moved to SF in 91 and was blown away by the fact that you could show up for just about any GA show at the Fillmore or the Warfield when the doors opened and you could just walk up to the rail. That didn't happen on the east coast in 91 and it also doesn't happen in SF anymore. More people with more experience going to shows and everyone competing for the same spot. It sucks but until people start deciding to do something else it will continue Live Nation or not.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance HTT Newberry
Whatever the details and
Whatever the details and the generally slimy behavior, this is all just more shallow jabber that appeals to the masses but is ultimately bullshit.
Say it once, say it a thousand times, it's legal scalping that fucks the ticketing scene, not any "monopoly" on ticketing systems.
Make reselling tickets over face illegal and be able to truly enforce that and the majority of the main problem and most of what folks are always whining about goes away.
Naturally not all the whining, because of course people are generally desperate to whine, but it's the major resale machine that is the real issue, and the people who understand that, know that.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Capt. Optissimo 24/7
I agree with that.
I agree with that.
I question how much things might change. I'm also fine with the discontent chatter continuing. Like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, louder is better
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
TM/LiveNation actually,
TM/LiveNation actually, literally scalp their own tickets. That's the entire premise of the litigation in the first place.
This is not chicken vs egg. The "legal scalping" part is a structural necessity to the monopoly itself.
say it once, say it a thousand times:
"Anyone that has a monopoly will pretend that they're in incredible competition"
-Peter Thiel
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-sues-liv...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Capt. Optissimo 24/7
So obvious it's an inside job
So obvious it's an inside job.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
^ Why do you think LN aren't
*Why do you think LN aren't the ones insisting on a legal, enforceable, secondary resale price ceiling as a stipulation of settlement?*
Uh
i mean
the solution is so simple, right,?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Lance HTT Newberry
>>>TM/LiveNation actually,
>>>Why do you think LN aren't the ones insisting on a legal, enforceable, secondary resale price ceiling as a stipulation of settlement<<<
They actually have advocated for legislative reforms, including proposing or endorsing percentage caps (such as a 20% limit) on secondary ticket resale markups above face value, which isn't really that impressive but still addresses the point, and they also have a "Face Value Exchange" option that is up to the artist to invoke, which doesn't really solve anything but makes the artist (and promoter) look better.
>>>TM/LiveNation actually, literally scalp their own tickets<<<
I have no doubt that there are games being played, and once they joined the resale market with their "Verified Resale" operation and started their "Platinum Premium" program to cut into the billion dollar resale industry (as has every other event promoter, including those who use different ticketing companies) they've definitely profited from that, but even if they are doing it on a deeper, darker, broader scale as people are suggesting, i.e. immediately funneling most of the best seats directly to the resale market, how are they (and the other promoters/ticketing companies) pulling it off, since the artist has ultimate control of the face value of the tickets and how they're distributed?
Unless the artists are in cahoots, and if so why aren't they included in the general vitriol?
And if all that's true why hasn't the government exposed the evidence that the resale industry doesn't really exist and is just a smokescreen for LN/TM and other major promoters and ticketing companies to manipulate distribution and rip the public off?
But after all that, whoever is ultimately to blame and whoever is profiting most from the control bigtime scalping has on major event sales, I maintain that my repeated point is still absolutely correct...
Quit wasting time on this monopoly bullshit and effectively abolish resale of event tickets above face value and many if not most of the current issues people are complaining about will go away.
(But they'll still complain anyway)
Prove me wrong.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Mice elf
Bro have you even read the
Why do you think LN aren't the ones insisting on a legal, enforceable, secondary resale price ceiling as a stipulation of settlement?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Capt. Optissimo 24/7
Counting on the government to
Counting on the government to do the right thing or evenly apply the law is a pipe dream. There's a reason why LN went to Trump. Rules are for little people.
> Effectively abolishing the resale of event tickets above face value, and many, if not most, of the current issues people are complaining about will go away.
I agree.
Maybe not allow buys over 6 tickets, too. There's always a workaround, I suppose.
Lance- Does the artist really have control over how the tix are distributed? Maybe artists should band together and create their own ticket sales company, but then how would the LN-controlled venues respond? I suspect "you can't play in our venues if we don't get to sell the tickets."
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: any other day
I doubt acts have much
I doubt acts have much control over LN and their distribution tactics and I'm absolutely certain LN is making a shit ton of money from resale markets. They control the venues, distribution and pretty much all else & have enough counsel to make it very costly to fight.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: El Nino
Live Nation is the
Live Nation is the personification of enshitification that is sweeping American business. They will take any opportunity to squeeze and extra buck out of the market. My biggest complaint was when they sold three nights in SF as the last Dead & Co shows and got all that sweet dynamic pricing for the last show only to drop the real last show. If I was Attorney General I would have started a business fraud investigation for that alone. I will lose no sleep over whatever bad things happen to them just like when the old crappy taxi industry got destroyed by Uber.
But, they are not the reason for high ticket prices. They might be adding 20% to the costs but the reason is demand. I'm the youngest of five and my parents never went to a concert and I'm pretty sure my oldest brother and sister have hardly been either, but all that changed for those of us who grew up in the 70's. Now it would not be unusual to have three generations at a Stones or a U2 concert, but that sure as hell didn't happen in the 70's or 80's. There are just too damn many people who want to see concerts.
I remember when I moved to SF in 91 and was blown away by the fact that you could show up for just about any GA show at the Fillmore or the Warfield when the doors opened and you could just walk up to the rail. That didn't happen on the east coast in 91 and it also doesn't happen in SF anymore. More people with more experience going to shows and everyone competing for the same spot. It sucks but until people start deciding to do something else it will continue Live Nation or not.