Private messages from Live Nation employees mocking concertgoers have sparked outrage online after they surfaced in court filings tied to the company’s ongoing antitrust fight with the U.S. government and dozens of states.
The internal Slack messages, first revealed in court documents, showed employees joking about high concert add-on prices while describing fans as “so stupid.”
The exchanges quickly circulated across social media platforms, where users reacted angrily to what they saw as confirmation of long-standing complaints about ticketing fees and concert costs.
The messages were sent between Live Nation employees in 2022 while discussing prices for VIP areas and parking at amphitheaters.
In one exchange highlighted in court filings, a staff member commented on steep prices and joked about taking advantage of fans purchasing extra services tied to concerts.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, government lawyers included the messages as evidence in an antitrust trial alleging that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster dominate the live entertainment industry and use that power to drive up prices.
Taking Advantage
The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department alongside numerous states, argues the company has used its position across concert promotion, venue ownership and ticketing to stifle competition and increase costs for fans.
Attorney General Merrick Garland previously said Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s control of the industry means concertgoers face “a seemingly endless list of fees,” according to reporting cited by Newsweek.
The messages that circulated online show employees joking about those fees and related add-ons such as VIP access and parking.
‘Robbing them blind’
In one exchange reported by The Hollywood Reporter, a Live Nation employee said they “almost feel bad taking advantage of them” before laughing in the chat.
In another message cited in the court documents, the employee bragged that the company was “robbing them blind, baby.”
Live Nation has pushed back against the significance of the messages. In a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the company said the exchange “from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate.”
The company added that leadership only learned of the Slack messages after they became public and said the matter would be reviewed.
Users React
The comments nevertheless sparked a wave of criticism online, with one Reddit user writing, “Hell is not hot enough for them.”
Another added, “The hubris of writing this out in accessible work emails. Pigs.”
Others focused on the broader issue of concert pricing and fees that have frustrated fans for years.
“Taking advantage of people is just so foul,” one contributor declared.
The backlash arrives as Live Nation’s legal battle continues to unfold. Federal regulators and dozens of states have accused the company of monopolizing the live entertainment market since its 2010 merger with Ticketmaster.
The case seeks major changes to the industry and could potentially force structural changes to the company if the government ultimately prevails.
While the Justice Department has already reached a settlement with Live Nation involving concessions such as opening parts of Ticketmaster’s technology to competitors, the company still faces claims from dozens of states that could keep the trial moving forward.
For fans reacting online, however, the leaked messages have reinforced long-standing concerns about the cost of attending live concerts and the companies that control the ticketing process.
Newsweek has reached out to Live Nation for comment via email.
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