Ticketmaster has been accused of raising other fees after a US regulatory crackdown on hidden charges, according to documents obtained by the Guardian. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) required the company to disclose concert ticket fees upfront from May 2025, a practice known as all-in pricing. Ticketmaster eliminated its order processing fee to comply, but raised other fees to avoid losing money.
Former regulators told the Guardian that the company's practices may violate the FTC's ban on misleading fees. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said: 'Ticketmaster seems to believe it has a get-out-of-jail-free card to ignore antitrust and consumer protection laws. The FTC is going to have to choose whether to protect consumers and enforce the law, or cave to Ticketmaster lobbyists.'
The FTC sued Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment in September 2024 for hiding mandatory fees until the end of transactions. Ticketmaster disputed the allegation, stating it complies with all-in pricing rules and displays full prices upfront. The company also provides fee explanations during purchases and maintains a dedicated information page.
Blumenthal, ranking member of the permanent subcommittee on investigations, published a report last month on Ticketmaster's practices. The report found the company pushed artists to make tickets available on the resale market before general sale and expanded dynamic pricing, raising costs for fans. 'As revealed by my PSI investigation, Ticketmaster has taken every opportunity to drive bait-and-switch practices, manipulate the market, and drive up the cost of tickets,' Blumenthal said.
An ongoing federal trial is examining whether Ticketmaster operates an illegal monopoly. The company denies this. A week after the trial started, the Department of Justice reached a settlement with Live Nation, drawing criticism from lawmakers. More than 30 states continue litigation. Senator Elizabeth Warren said the Guardian's reporting 'is just the latest reason why Ticketmaster must be broken up – once and for all.'
