The net of litigation round Stay Nation, Ticketmaster, and the businesses’ alleged monopoly is getting extra sophisticated — but it surely could possibly be excellent news for concertgoers who’re sick of dynamic pricing and inexplicable service charges.
The Division of Justice and 40 state attorneys normal sued Stay Nation, proprietor of Ticketmaster, in 2024 for alleged monopolistic practices. The 2 corporations had merged in 2010 to type an leisure large that got here to regulate the vast majority of ticket gross sales and venue bookings within the nation, which made it tougher for different corporations to compete, in keeping with the lawsuit. With out significant competitors, clients had no alternative however to simply accept Stay Nation’s doubtful pricing models, which critics say profit the corporate’s backside line, quite than artists.
Final month, the DOJ tentatively settled with Stay Nation, whereas a separate state-level trial was already underway. However 34 of the attorneys general pressed ahead, and on Wednesday, a federal jury found that Stay Nation had been working as an unlawful monopoly.
In the course of the broadly adopted trial, Slack messages surfaced between two Stay Nation workers: Ben Baker, now head of ticketing for Venue Nation, and Jeff Weinhold, now a senior director within the ticketing division.
“These persons are so silly,” Baker mentioned in a dialog about elevating costs on parking. “I virtually really feel dangerous making the most of them BAHAHAHAHAHA.”
In a later dialog, additionally about parking costs, Baker mentioned, “Robbing them blind child.”
Stay Nation argued that these remarks represented “off-the-cuff banter, not coverage, decision-making, or details of consequence.”
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As a part of the DOJ settlement, Stay Nation is meant to pay a $280 million advantageous and divest a minimum of 13 of its venues, requiring these venues to simply accept bookings from competing promoters. However given the jury’s separate discovering on Wednesday that Stay Nation operated as an unlawful monopoly, the results would possibly find yourself being extra extreme.
What occurs subsequent isn’t clear. Choose Arun Subramanian nonetheless has to find out cures at a later date. However the opportunity of breaking apart Stay Nation and Ticketmaster stays on the desk.
