Campbell to continue suit against Live Nation, as internal messages show employee mocked customers

Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, is facing new scrutiny after internal messages made public this week reveal an employee mocking customers as being “so stupid.” At the same time, attorneys general of more than two dozen states, including Massachusetts, are vowing to maintain their antitrust lawsuit against the company despite a deal being reached with the federal government. 

The internal messages were sent on the messaging platform Slack by employee Ben Baker from late 2021 through early 2023. Baker previously worked as a regional director of ticketing, responsible for a large amphitheater in Florida. He has since been promoted to a position where he oversees ticketing for Live Nation’s venue unit, the Associated Press reported. 

“These people are so stupid,” Baker wrote to a colleague when discussing VIP ticket sales for a show in Tampa. “I almost feel bad taking advantage of them,” he added. In other messages, Baker brags about “robbing them blind, baby,” according to the AP. 

The messages were made public in filings by government lawyers involved in the antitrust case, who say that they should be admitted as evidence. Live Nation’s lawyers say that the comments represent “off-the-cuff banter, not policy” between personal friends that does not relate to antitrust claims, per the AP. 

The exchange “from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate,” Live Nation said in a statement to the outlet. “Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly.”

The antitrust litigation has been ongoing since 2024, when the Department of Justice under the Biden administration and a large group of attorneys general sued the company. They alleged that Live Nation stifles competition by forcing venues into long-term exclusive agreements with Ticketmaster, coercing artists into using Live Nation as a promoter, and by serially acquiring other promoters and venues. An initial goal of the DOJ’s complaint was to separate Ticketmaster from Live Nation. 

On Monday, the DOJ announced that it reached a settlement with Live Nation just after a trial had finally started. The settlement contained no admissions of wrongdoing. The company agreed to cap service fees at 15% for amphitheaters that it already owns, and to allow promoters at these venues to choose how they distribute 50% of their tickets. This could be through Ticketmaster rivals like AXS. 

Live Nation controls more than 265 concert venues in North America. Its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, control about 80% of the primary ticketing for major concert venues, according to Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office. 

Major Massachusetts venues either owned or controlled by Live Nation include House of Blues Boston, MGM Music Hall in Fenway, Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, and Xfinity Center in Mansfield.

After the announcement of the DOJ deal, Campbell said that she would continue to litigate the case against Live Nation alongside attorneys general from states including New York, California, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. 

“For years, Live Nation’s illegal monopoly has driven up prices, squeezed out competition, and left consumers with few choices and little recourse. The DOJ’s settlement falls far short of protecting consumers, artists, and venues from the harms that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have caused,” Campbell said in a statement. “As Attorney General, my job is to uphold the law and protect Massachusetts residents from companies that rig the market against consumers.”