FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson on Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster for Deceptive Pricing

Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster and Live Nation

• 🎯 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), joined by seven states, has filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation.
• 🏛️ The suit alleges illegal ticket resale tactics, deceptive pricing, misrepresentation of ticket availability, and violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act.

Allegations of Deceptive Pricing and Availability

• 💸 Ticketmaster is accused of not being honest about its pricing, often posting initial prices and then increasing fees later in the purchase flow, which violates the FTC Act.
• ⚠️ The company is also accused of deceitfully misrepresenting the number of tickets actually available for purchase on the primary market.
• 🕵️ This misrepresentation occurs while brokers buy up large quantities of tickets, a practice Ticketmaster is aware of but continues to post inflated availability numbers.

Violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act

• 🎟️ The lawsuit highlights the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, designed to prevent brokers from circumventing ticket limits and reselling tickets for massive profits.
• 💰 Evidence suggests Ticketmaster knew brokers were using these methods and allowed it to happen, as many of these sales funneled to Ticketmaster's secondary ticketing platform, allowing both Ticketmaster and brokers to profit.
• 🚫 This practice is deemed illegal and unfair, as it diverts profits that should belong to artists and event organizers.

Desired Remedies

• ⚖️ The FTC seeks an injunction to stop Ticketmaster's illegal practices against consumers.
• 💰 Additionally, the FTC aims to recover potentially billions of dollars in illegal profits taken from American consumers, to be returned to those who overpaid for tickets.
• 🚀 The actions are framed as carrying out President Trump's agenda to improve the lives of Americans by addressing issues in the economy.