Ticketmaster has been accused of a 'bait and switch' after it raised other fees following a US crackdown on hidden charges, according to documents obtained by the Guardian. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) required the company to adopt all-in pricing from May 2025, leading Ticketmaster to drop its order processing fee. However, internal records show it increased other fees to compensate for the lost revenue.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, condemned the move, stating: '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 senator is a ranking member of the permanent subcommittee on investigations, which recently published a report on Ticketmaster's post-pandemic pricing practices.
Former regulators told the Guardian that Ticketmaster's actions may violate the FTC's ban on misleading fees. The FTC sued Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment in September 2024 for hiding mandatory fees until the end of transactions. Ticketmaster disputes the allegation, saying it complies with all-in pricing rules and provides fee explanations during the purchase process.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, added: 'This is just the latest reason why Ticketmaster must be broken up – once and for all. Too many giant monopolies think the law doesn’t apply to them, and it’s American families who are forced to pay the price.' An ongoing federal trial is considering whether Ticketmaster operates an illegal monopoly in the live music industry. The Department of Justice reached a settlement with Live Nation Entertainment early in the trial, but over 30 states continue to litigate.
