Business12 March, 20262 min read
Live Nation Employees Boast They Gouge Concertgoers With Predatory Fees
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Live Nation regional directors boasted in 2022 Slack messages about gouging concertgoers with fees They bragged about inflating ancillary charges like parking, VIP upgrades, and lawn chair rentals
Revealed Slack messages
Newly unsealed court documents and Slack messages from 2022 show two Live Nation regional ticketing directors boasting about charging concertgoers steep ancillary fees and mocking fans who pay them. The exchanges, attributed to Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold in multiple reports, include lines such as “These people are so stupid,” references to “VIP parking up to $250 lol,” and an explicit admission — “I gouge them on ancil prices” — that ties the private remarks to ticketing practices. Outlets published the messages as part of filings in the company’s federal antitrust/monopoly litigation, bringing renewed scrutiny to Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s market power.
“Two Live Nation directors are in hot water after their internal Slack messages were made public, showing them boasting about ‘taking advantage of’ concert-goers with high ticket fees.”
Specific pricing examples
The Slack threads reveal granular examples of add‑on pricing and internal pride in extracting revenue: messages mention charging $50–$60 for grass parking, a $250 VIP parking charge at one show, and a spreadsheet showing premier parking revenue rising from roughly $470,000 in 2018 to about $666,000 in 2021, with one employee exclaiming “Robbing them blind baby That's how we do.” Those concrete figures and boasts were highlighted across outlets as evidence that ancillary fees materially boost venue revenues.
Legal context
Those messages were submitted as exhibits in the government’s antitrust case and were filed soon after Live Nation reached a settlement with the Department of Justice — a timing reporters flagged while plaintiffs argued the exchanges show how Live Nation can "degrade the fan experience by charging excessive prices for ancillary services without fear of artists switching away." The company had attempted to exclude some documents as irrelevant, but prosecutors and plaintiffs used them to underline alleged monopoly leverage.
Company response
Live Nation pushed back, saying the private Slack exchange “absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate,” adding that leadership only learned of the messages when they became public and that the company has capped amphitheater venue fees and invested heavily in venues and fan amenities. Multiple outlets quoted the company’s statement while noting the messages came from employees who oversee ticketing for Live Nation amphitheaters.
Public reaction
Reaction across outlets and fans emphasized frustration with Ticketmaster’s fee structure and the broader settlement that left the company intact; critics said the revelations further illustrated why the ticketing giant’s practices have long been a flashpoint. Coverage noted Ticketmaster’s notorious fee markup (often estimated at 20–30% in reporting), described the directors as “in hot water,” and argued the messages strengthen arguments that ancillary fees are used to extract more money from already pricier tickets. Reporters and commentators framed the published Slack exchanges as additional evidence in longstanding complaints about fees and market concentration.
“Ticketmaster is notorious for the fees it charges on top of ticket prices, often driving up costs to the tune of an average ~20 – 30% markup depending on venue and service rates.”