Overview:
Federal Trade Commission
WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), joined by seven state attorneys general, filed suit Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation. The lawsuit alleges the companies let brokers hoard tickets and charged fans billions in hidden fees, affecting concertgoers nationwide, including those in Maryland.
The complaint alleges Ticketmaster allowed brokers to acquire tickets in bulk illegally, then profited when those tickets were resold on its platform at significant markups. The FTC also charged Ticketmaster with deceptive “bait-and-switch” pricing, advertising tickets at lower costs than what consumers ultimately paid after mandatory fees — some as high as 44% — were added at checkout.
“President Donald Trump made it clear in his March executive order that the federal government must protect Americans from being ripped off when they buy tickets to live events,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.
From 2019 to 2024, consumers spent more than $82.6 billion purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster. During that same period, hidden fees reportedly generated $16.4 billion.
The FTC said Live Nation and Ticketmaster turned a “blind eye” to violations of ticket limits and even provided software tools to help brokers manage thousands of accounts. Internal company documents showed that five brokers alone controlled more than 246,000 tickets to nearly 2,600 events.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and additional monetary relief, alleging violations of the FTC Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales Act. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
What’s Next For Consumers
- Court case: A federal judge will decide whether Ticketmaster and Live Nation violated federal law. That process could take months or even years.
- Possible refunds or penalties: If the FTC and states win, the court could order financial penalties and possibly direct refunds or restitution to consumers.
- Transparency in ticketing: Regulators are also pushing for clearer “all-in” ticket pricing, which could mean consumers see the true cost of tickets upfront in the future.
- Consumer impact: The lawsuit covers Ticketmaster’s practices nationwide — so the potential impact applies to anyone in the U.S. buying tickets through Ticketmaster, not just those attending events in the seven states.
The FTC said the lawsuit is a “monumental step” toward ensuring fans can buy fair-priced tickets without hidden fees or inflated secondary market markups. Ticketmaster controls roughly 80% of the major concert venue ticketing market, giving it significant influence over both primary and resale sales.
Learn more about the FTC’s consumer protection efforts at consumer.ftc.gov.
As of this publication, Live Nation and Ticketmaster had not issued a public statement responding to the lawsuit.
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