Ticketmaster directors brag about "taking advantage of" customers in internal messages
"Robbing them blind, baby, that's how we do it."
If you've ever tried to book tickets through Ticketmaster, you'll know how horrible the interface can be, and how much you end up getting ripped off by the seller at the end of the day. This is something Ticketmaster, or Live Nation Entertainment directors know (Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation in 2010). It's also something they happily exploit, thinking of consumers as "stupid."
In a Bloomberg report which showcases the messages of two Live Nation Entertainment directors, Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, we see that there's clearly no love lost for the consumers, as the directors seem to be quite gleeful in bragging about how they're ripping people off.
The internal messages come from 2022, and paint quite the scathing picture. The ticketing directors joked about Ticketmaster "robbing [customers] blind." In the messages, Baker said: "These people are so stupid. I almost feel bad taking advantage of them," adding "I gouge them on ancil prices."
In a later message, he bragged about the price of parking at a venue. "$50 to park in the grass, $60 for closer grass....Robbing them blind, baby, that's how we do it."
In a statement, Live Nation Entertainment said the messages did not reflect its values. Baker is the head of ticketing for 150 amphitheatres. He was expected to testify at a federal antitrust trial That testimony didn't happen, as the US Justice Department reached a settlement with Live Nation.
