SALT LAKE CITY — In a significant legal move, Utah, alongside the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and six other states, has filed a comprehensive lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation, accusing the well-known entertainment and ticketing companies of deceptive practices related to ticket pricing. The lawsuit, which spans 84 pages, has been submitted to the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
The allegations focus on the claim that Ticketmaster consistently conceals fees and misrepresents ticket prices. According to Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, the consumer experience when attempting to purchase concert tickets often results in frustration due to unexpected fees that appear at checkout, along with the unfortunate likelihood of encountering “sold out” notices. “Today, Utah says ‘no more,'” Brown stated, underscoring a growing sentiment among consumers who feel taken advantage of by the ticketing process.
The lawsuit asserts that Live Nation and Ticketmaster advertise deceptively low ticket prices but subsequently add hidden charges that reportedly range from 24% to 44% of the total ticket price. Research highlighted in the lawsuit claims that consumers across the nation paid an astounding $16.4 billion in mandatory fees to Ticketmaster between 2019 and 2024, resulting in over $11 billion in revenue for the company during that period.
The filing indicates that Ticketmaster maintains a dominant position in the ticketing market, controlling over 80% of primary ticketing for major concert venues and increasing its share within the secondary market. It further claims that, since at least 2018, both companies have facilitated brokers in circumventing their own enforcement measures, leading to consumers paying hundreds of millions more for tickets in the secondary market compared to their original prices.
“Ticketmaster’s game of bait-and-switch, cozying up with unscrupulous scalpers, inflates costs and leaves fans frustrated,” Brown asserted. The lawsuit is supported by other states, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, Virginia, and Tennessee, reflecting a wider concern over the practices of these major ticketing companies.
Multiple counts within the lawsuit accuse Ticketmaster and Live Nation of violating the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act through various deceptive sales practices. Among the allegations are claims that the companies misrepresent the true price of tickets by withholding mandatory fees until the final transaction stage, falsely assert strict ticket limits for events, and misrepresent the security measures implemented to enforce ticket purchasing rules.
The plaintiffs also contend that by systematically violating the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, which prohibits the resale of tickets acquired through circumvention of ticket-purchase limits, both companies have earned vast profits through unethical means. The lawsuit argues that rather than enforcing ticket limits against brokers, Ticketmaster and Live Nation have knowingly enabled these brokers to exploit multiple accounts to bypass established security measures.
In a powerful statement, Margaret Woolley Busse, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, emphasized the damaging impact of these practices on consumer trust and the integrity of the ticket purchasing process. “We are committed to protecting consumers from deceptive practices and unnecessary fees,” she said, promising to hold both companies accountable and restore fairness in the marketplace.
As this lawsuit unfolds, the outcome may have significant implications for the ticketing industry and consumer protections moving forward.
