Best Podcast Episodes About Ticketmaster
Everything podcasters are saying about Ticketmaster — curated from top podcasts
Updated: Mar 26, 2026 – 11 episodes
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Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about Ticketmaster.
Top Podcast Clips About Ticketmaster
“… determine, is this in the public interest? Until the DOJ settled, this case felt like a win no matter what your politics were. No one likes Ticketmaster. I feel like specifically after the Arrows Tour disaster and artists starting to complain pretty widely about Ticketmaster and some venues starting to complain, the idea that antitrust enforcement was bipartisan was on the rise. There were some conservatives who were really excited about antitrust enforcement. You have Andrew Ferguson, who's the head of the Federal Trade Commission, who makes antitrust noises all the time. He replaced Lena …”
“… we came to based off of our understanding of antitrust law and the best deal that we thought we could get That going to be the big question, especially as we see the judge review the settlement as part of the Tunney Act review, where he has to basically determine, is this in the public interest? Until the DOJ settled, this case felt like a win no matter what your politics were. No one likes Ticketmaster. I feel like specifically after the Arrows Tour disaster and artists starting to complain pretty widely about Ticketmaster and some venues starting to complain, the idea that antitrust enforcement was bipartisan was on the rise. There were some conservatives who were really excited about antitrust enforcement. You have Andrew Ferguson, who's the head of the Federal Trade Commission, who makes antitrust noises all the time. He replaced Lena Kahn. J.D. Vance was at events that you've covered for us where he said he actually liked Lena Kahn. She was the only member of the Biden administration that he liked and thought was doing a good job because she was trying to preserve competition. What has changed? Because it feels like not going after the one that everyone hates is a big change. Yeah, …”
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Donald Trump's involvement in the Ticketmaster settlement raises eyebrows, as he reportedly pushed for a resolution during the trial. Despite widespread dislike for Ticketmaster, the DOJ's decision to settle has shifted the landscape of antitrust enforcement, leaving many questioning the future of competition law under the current administration. This unusual presidential engagement in a corporate settlement highlights a significant change in how antitrust cases are approached in the U.S.
“After a high-profile antitrust lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday that it's tentatively settled with Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation. After merging in 2010, the combined entity that is Live Nation and Ticketmaster controlled a majority of ticket sales and venue bookings in the good old U.S. of A., leaving talent, well, little choice but to work with these companies. Customers have been fed up for years with dynamic pricing issues. They can drive up ticket costs by thousands of dollars, often without consulting the artists, as well as the …”
“After a high-profile antitrust lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday that it's tentatively settled with Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation. After merging in 2010, the combined entity that is Live Nation and Ticketmaster controlled a majority of ticket sales and venue bookings in the good old U.S. of A., leaving talent, well, little choice but to work with these companies. Customers have been fed up for years with dynamic pricing issues. They can drive up ticket costs by thousands of dollars, often without consulting the artists, as well as the process of buying tickets. The sales for Taylor Swift's Aeros tour were so widely aggravating that they triggered government scrutiny. According to the AP, the settlement would have Live Nation pay a fine of up to $280 million and divest at least 13 venues to give competitors more opportunity. but several states' attorneys general involved in the …”
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After a high-profile antitrust lawsuit, Ticketmaster is set to pay up to $280 million and divest 13 venues to increase competition. This comes after years of customer frustration over dynamic pricing, particularly highlighted by the chaos surrounding Taylor Swift's concert ticket sales. However, many state attorneys general are not satisfied and plan to continue the lawsuit against Live Nation.
“… I woke up. I saw that there was a Bloomberg report saying that a settlement might be announced in this case this week, U.S. versus Live Nation, Ticketmaster. Then I saw there was a Politico report saying that the settlement might be announced today. And I was like, oh, I really got to get to court on time. I'm really hoping there wasn't a line for jury selection or something like that. Because when I got there Friday, there was a huge line for naturalization at the courthouse. So fortunately, there was no line. I got in before anything happened. The room was a lot more full than it was last week at …”
“… morning and everything had changed. So we're just we're going to do all of this again. But first, I want you to tell me what your day today, Monday, has been like, because today has been the story we are about to tell. Tell me about your day. Yeah, today I woke up. I saw that there was a Bloomberg report saying that a settlement might be announced in this case this week, U.S. versus Live Nation, Ticketmaster. Then I saw there was a Politico report saying that the settlement might be announced today. And I was like, oh, I really got to get to court on time. I'm really hoping there wasn't a line for jury selection or something like that. Because when I got there Friday, there was a huge line for naturalization at the courthouse. So fortunately, there was no line. I got in before anything happened. The room was a lot more full than it was last week at the end of the week. Lots of attorneys from different states and presumably from defense counsel, all sorts of people there to watch. And yeah, then the judge came in and the attorney said that they had stricken a deal between DOJ and Live Nation. And then that's kind of where everything began for the rest of the hearing. Fascinating day. So as we …”
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Ticketmaster has reached a $280 million settlement with the DOJ, which includes selling off venues and capping ticket fees. This agreement aims to address long-standing concerns over their monopolistic practices in the ticketing industry. While the trial isn't entirely over, this deal marks a significant shift in the landscape for concert-goers and competitors alike.
“… one of the biggest antitrust cases in decades is nearing a resolution. On Monday, the Justice Department announced a settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster. In the sweeping monopoly case filed in 2024, the DOJ, along with 40 state attorneys general, argued that Live Nation legally dominates the market for live events. One proposed remedy was to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Now, under the proposed settlement, Live Nation will pay damages to states and change how it structures ticketing deals with venues. But the case is not over yet. Only 10 states have signed on to the settlement, while …”
“After just one week in court, one of the biggest antitrust cases in decades is nearing a resolution. On Monday, the Justice Department announced a settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster. In the sweeping monopoly case filed in 2024, the DOJ, along with 40 state attorneys general, argued that Live Nation legally dominates the market for live events. One proposed remedy was to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Now, under the proposed settlement, Live Nation will pay damages to states and change how it structures ticketing deals with venues. But the case is not over yet. Only 10 states have signed on to the settlement, while others are expected to keep fighting. Plus, the terms of the agreement must be approved by a federal judge. Still, shares of Live Nation rose 6% following the news. Joining us to discuss this case, we're speaking with Jonathan Cantor, former Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He's also the man …”
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The DOJ's settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster raises questions about consumer interests and antitrust enforcement. Initially poised for a strong case, the DOJ's abrupt decision to settle has led to speculation about lobbying influences and potential corruption. With 27 states still opposing the settlement, the future of this significant antitrust case remains uncertain.
“… of where logic originates and comes from. So it was pretty good at that. I'll just leave it there. All right. A couple of news. Live Nation Ticketmaster. If you didn't know, Live Nation Ticketmaster is basically a monopoly on concert venues here in the U.S. Hold on. Hold on. It's actually the mafia. Yeah, the mafia. Yeah. So and precisely why I'm going to show the next clip. I'm not going to play it. I'll just link to it. But there was a lawsuit against Live Nation Ticketmaster and they settled this lawsuit. Basically, all like the huge concert venues in the U.S. are beholden to Live Nation …”
“… conclusions as humans like what is the basis for logic like where where where do we say logic comes from. Please don't teach the robot logic. Please. Just Steven. Come on. Anyway, Jim and I was pretty good at providing explanations through various worldviews of where logic originates and comes from. So it was pretty good at that. I'll just leave it there. All right. A couple of news. Live Nation Ticketmaster. If you didn't know, Live Nation Ticketmaster is basically a monopoly on concert venues here in the U.S. Hold on. Hold on. It's actually the mafia. Yeah, the mafia. Yeah. So and precisely why I'm going to show the next clip. I'm not going to play it. I'll just link to it. But there was a lawsuit against Live Nation Ticketmaster and they settled this lawsuit. Basically, all like the huge concert venues in the U.S. are beholden to Live Nation Ticketmaster, both as the concert promoter company and the ticket sales company. And this is the reason why it's a bad idea for both Live Nation and Ticketmaster to be one company. But they are. And so they settled this lawsuit. They have to pay $280 million in damages. And they also have to open amphitheaters to all promoters, cap service fees. But …”
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Live Nation Ticketmaster has been likened to the mafia due to its monopolistic control over concert venues in the U.S., recently settling a lawsuit for $280 million. The call between the CEO and venue managers reveals intimidation tactics that keep venues beholden to Ticketmaster's pricing and policies. This is a critical issue for concert-goers, as it limits their options and inflates ticket prices.
“… the Trump DOJ is pursuing this case. There was a thought that it would get settled early because previous figures from Trump one were lobbying for Ticketmaster. There's just endless complexity of this one, but it's at trial right now. Lauren Finer is in that courtroom. It is wild stuff left and right. um and the the one she filed today just as we were coming on uh is basically a story in which the barclays center thought that it might leave its contract with ticketmaster and go with seat geek and in retaliation ticketmaster which also manages a bunch of artists pulled the billy eilish show at the last …”
“… the Trump administration has to pick up a case that the Biden administration started. Right. And this, you know, this all started with like Taylor Swift tickets and all this in the background. There's a lot, there's a lot of history here. Um, uh, but the Trump DOJ is pursuing this case. There was a thought that it would get settled early because previous figures from Trump one were lobbying for Ticketmaster. There's just endless complexity of this one, but it's at trial right now. Lauren Finer is in that courtroom. It is wild stuff left and right. um and the the one she filed today just as we were coming on uh is basically a story in which the barclays center thought that it might leave its contract with ticketmaster and go with seat geek and in retaliation ticketmaster which also manages a bunch of artists pulled the billy eilish show at the last minute and you just see this stuff now it's just coming to light like the whole industry's been talking this stuff forever but it's in the background of this and reason I bring up here on the verge cast is I keep pointing this out Like our whole world is run by databases that people control And like Ticketmaster is just a database of venues and …”
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Ridealong summary
Ticketmaster is currently on trial for being an illegal monopoly, a case initially started by the Biden administration but now taken up by the Trump administration. The trial has revealed shocking retaliatory tactics, including Ticketmaster's last-minute cancellation of a Billy Eilish show when a venue considered switching to a rival. This highlights the complex power dynamics in the ticketing industry and how databases control access to entertainment.
“… right. I mean, so this all starts a decade plus ago when Live Nation, which was on the promotion music venue, artist management side merged with Ticketmaster, both of which were already monopolies in their respective markets. And that deal was cleared through by the Obama administration that gave them a green light with a pretty weak consent decree and imposed some modest restrictions that Blythe Nation and Ticketmaster combined then ran roughshod over for the next decade. And, you know, I think really sort of the core here of the of the issue is when you have a vertically integrated entity like …”
“Yeah, that's right. I mean, so this all starts a decade plus ago when Live Nation, which was on the promotion music venue, artist management side merged with Ticketmaster, both of which were already monopolies in their respective markets. And that deal was cleared through by the Obama administration that gave them a green light with a pretty weak consent decree and imposed some modest restrictions that Blythe Nation and Ticketmaster combined then ran roughshod over for the next decade. And, you know, I think really sort of the core here of the of the issue is when you have a vertically integrated entity like this, they sit in the middle between fans and the artists at the venues that they go to see shows at, right? And the cornerstone of that monopoly are these exclusive contracts that Live Nation really sort of forces onto venues. And this is a key site of of coercion by the company. So they're raising prices through these exclusive contracts on …”
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Ridealong summary
Live Nation's merger with Ticketmaster exemplifies the dangers of monopolistic power, allowing them to dictate prices and control artists and venues. This situation raises concerns about the intertwining of corporate and state power in America, reminiscent of authoritarian models. The recent settlement from the Justice Department highlights the ongoing struggle against such monopolies.
“Live Nation is the parent company of Ticketmaster, and they have reached a tentative settlement with the Department of Justice in a high-profile antitrust case. This is a lawsuit that the government filed back in May of 2024. They accused Live Nation of running an illegal monopoly across the live music industry. The government said that Live Nation was pressuring venues into exclusive Ticketmaster deals and threatening to pull concerts from arenas that used a rival ticketing company and also …”
“Live Nation is the parent company of Ticketmaster, and they have reached a tentative settlement with the Department of Justice in a high-profile antitrust case. This is a lawsuit that the government filed back in May of 2024. They accused Live Nation of running an illegal monopoly across the live music industry. The government said that Live Nation was pressuring venues into exclusive Ticketmaster deals and threatening to pull concerts from arenas that used a rival ticketing company and also drive up prices for fans. Just to give you a sense of how dominant the company is, Live Nation put on 55,000 events last year. They sold 646 million tickets and they pulled in $25 billion in revenue. That is more revenue than Spotify and Universal Music Groups. All in all, Ticketmaster controls about 80% of ticketing at major concert venues in the …”
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Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation, has reached a tentative settlement with the Department of Justice over antitrust allegations, allowing venues to use multiple ticket providers and capping service fees at 15%. This settlement comes after accusations of monopolistic practices, but some state attorneys general argue it doesn’t go far enough, pushing for a full breakup of the company. Meanwhile, the anticipation for SpaceX's upcoming IPO is building, targeting a valuation of $1.75 trillion, potentially the largest ever.
“Yesterday, Ticketmaster's parent company reached a settlement with the DOJ one week into a monopoly trial that, if successful, would have forced Live Nation to hive off Ticketmaster. Instead, the two sides agreed to a far chiller outcome. Under the settlement, which still has to be approved by a judge, Live Nation will reportedly allow venues to use multiple ticketing vendors instead of being locked into exclusive agreements with Ticketmaster. It'll let artists who go …”
“Yesterday, Ticketmaster's parent company reached a settlement with the DOJ one week into a monopoly trial that, if successful, would have forced Live Nation to hive off Ticketmaster. Instead, the two sides agreed to a far chiller outcome. Under the settlement, which still has to be approved by a judge, Live Nation will reportedly allow venues to use multiple ticketing vendors instead of being locked into exclusive agreements with Ticketmaster. It'll let artists who go on tours use other promoters besides Live Nation when performing at Live Nation venues. And Live Nation will pay up to $280 million in damages to the states that join the settlement. You have to think Live Nation is overjoyed about this. It's relaxing some of its rules, but it spared the worst-case scenario. But, Toby, many folks aren't happy …”
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Ticketmaster's parent company, Live Nation, reached a settlement with the DOJ, avoiding a monopoly breakup but allowing venues to use multiple ticket vendors. While this seems like a win for competition, industry insiders worry it will confuse fans and lead to higher prices. Many states are unhappy with the outcome and plan to pursue their own legal actions.
“… Senator. Another thing that has been happening with DOJ, this is Live Nation, which is settling the antitrust case with DOJ, which is avoiding the Ticketmaster breaker. You guys have heard me talk about this quite a bit on the show. Ticketmaster, I think, is one of those that just needs to go away. One of the note here was that this was like a $200 million fine, and then once you got that done in the settlement to Live Nation, and then you can go back to doing your bad things again. So listen to what this analyst had to say. Take a look. Even if it's $280 million, right, like that's nothing. Bigger …”
“… America safe again. Do you share concerns that you need to get a warrant requirement in order to show probable cause that a crime, including espionage, perhaps has been committed? I would read his memo, and I will speak to you after I read his memo, Senator. Another thing that has been happening with DOJ, this is Live Nation, which is settling the antitrust case with DOJ, which is avoiding the Ticketmaster breaker. You guys have heard me talk about this quite a bit on the show. Ticketmaster, I think, is one of those that just needs to go away. One of the note here was that this was like a $200 million fine, and then once you got that done in the settlement to Live Nation, and then you can go back to doing your bad things again. So listen to what this analyst had to say. Take a look. Even if it's $280 million, right, like that's nothing. Bigger things, as I understand them, would be they would have to open up parts of the platform and they're like, tight, we have all the branding, all the distribution, all of the other advantages we've already always had. This is going to cost us nothing. Merrick Garland, when he first announced this case, said that they wanted to break up Live Nation …”
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Pam Bondi's failure to address the critical Section 702 surveillance law could have dire consequences, with its extension looming by April 20th. As Congress debates this vital legislation, her inaction raises alarms about national security and accountability. This situation highlights the tension between government oversight and civil liberties, leaving many to question her commitment to enforcing the law.
“… burning a MAGA supporter. Is this like a deals not done, but deals done situation or there's still major potential hurdles? As we have seen with the Ticketmaster Live Nation thing, the Trump administration has no interest in fighting like real monopolies like Ticketmaster Live Nation. That's a real monopoly. They control 80 percent of the market there. They have, you know, vertical monopolies, horizontal monopoly like they are and they don't want to break that up. I don't think the antitrust division even set aside all of the, you know, MAGA, Donald Trump doing favors for people stuff like I just don't …”
“… not be able to get out because of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran war torpedoing a large portion of the funding of the Paramount Skydance Warner Brothers deal would be one of those weird quirks of history, one of those weird unintended consequences burning a MAGA supporter. Is this like a deals not done, but deals done situation or there's still major potential hurdles? As we have seen with the Ticketmaster Live Nation thing, the Trump administration has no interest in fighting like real monopolies like Ticketmaster Live Nation. That's a real monopoly. They control 80 percent of the market there. They have, you know, vertical monopolies, horizontal monopoly like they are and they don't want to break that up. I don't think the antitrust division even set aside all of the, you know, MAGA, Donald Trump doing favors for people stuff like I just don't think they have any stomach for trying to break it up. I don't think the state attorneys general will be able to do anything either. I get the sense that it's probably just going to go through. It may take a little while. It may take the beginning of next year. But I don't think it's going to fall apart for regulatory reasons, and I don't think …”
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While AI can significantly enhance efficiency for some professionals, like a lawyer streamlining class action lawsuits, it also threatens job security for many. The experience of receiving inaccurate AI-generated information raises concerns about reliability and trust, leading to a societal unease about this technology's impact. This duality highlights the complex relationship society has with AI and entertainment, echoing David Foster Wallace's insights on addiction to distraction.
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