Exhibits Tied to Live Nation’s Antitrust Lawsuit Reveal Employees Allegedly Boasting About Price Gouging With Fees and Parking Costs in Private Conversations “Robbing Them Blind, Baby”

Newly revealed court exhibits connected to the ongoing antitrust case against Live Nation have brought internal employee messages into public view. The documents include private conversations in which company staff allegedly discussed charging high ancillary fees for concertgoers. The exchanges have become a notable point of attention in the broader legal fight surrounding the company’s alleged dominance in the live entertainment industry.

The messages surfaced as part of evidence submitted in the federal antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster. The case, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice along with numerous state attorneys general, alleges that the company maintained a monopoly over major segments of the live concert business. United States v. Live Nation Entertainment has examined the company’s business practices, including ticketing, venue relationships and pricing structures across the industry. 

According to HollywoodReporter, internal Slack messages between two Live Nation ticketing directors allegedly showed them joking about how much fans were being charged for various add-on services such as parking, preferred seating and VIP access. In one exchange, an employee allegedly described charging high prices for parking and other extras and wrote “Robbing them blind, baby. That’s how we do it.” 

Other messages in the exhibits allegedly mocked customers who paid for premium upgrades. In one conversation, a ticketing executive allegedly referred to fans purchasing a $199 VIP club option and wrote that “these people are so stupid,” adding that he almost felt bad taking advantage of them. The discussion also allegedly included references to VIP parking options priced as high as $250 at certain venues. 

Live Nation has reportedly argued in court filings that the messages were private conversations and allegedly did not reflect company policy or decision making. The company also claimed leadership only became aware of the comments once they were made public. 

The exhibits have added fuel to an already high profile case examining the structure of the live music industry. The lawsuit, which followed years of scrutiny over ticket pricing and the controversial 2022 presale for Taylor Swift concerts, could potentially force major changes to how concert ticketing operates in the United States if regulators ultimately prevail.