Live Nation Entertainment's chief executive, Michael Rapino, took the stand at a New York antitrust trial on Thursday, defending the company's market dominance against allegations of anti-competitive practices. The trial stems from a lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department two years ago against Live Nation and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster.
Rapino, who has led the company since its formation 21 years ago, expressed pride in how Live Nation has organised the fragmented live events industry. “I'm very proud,” he said, noting that other companies now try to emulate their model. The federal government settled its role in the case last week, securing concessions from Live Nation aimed at increasing competition and lowering ticket prices. However, 33 states and the District of Columbia are continuing the legal battle.
Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, representing the states, questioned Rapino on internal messages from 2022 in which a Live Nation employee called customers “so stupid” and boasted of “robbing them blind, baby.” Rapino described the language as “disgusting” and said he only learned of it last week, adding that he planned “to deal with it this week.” The employee, Benjamin Baker, now head of ticketing for Venue Nation, testified that the messages were “very immature and unacceptable.”
Rapino remained composed throughout the cross-examination, pushing back on several assertions. When asked about the 2022 Taylor Swift ticket sale fiasco, he acknowledged that initial claims of system overload were incorrect. On the issue of banning lawn chairs at Live Nation's amphitheaters, Rapino cited safety concerns, saying that various-sized chairs had caused disputes among fans. He also addressed a 2024 controversy involving Adele's presale tickets, explaining that rival ticketing companies had posed as fan clubs to obtain tickets.
