Live Nation has settled with the Department of Justice to end federal antitrust claims — but the company is still under the microscope of public court proceedings.
This scrutiny was on full display after a trove of embarrassing Slack messages was unsealed on the court docket on Thursday (March 11). These internal messages were sent in 2022 between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, who at the time were both regional ticketing directors at Live Nation, responsible for the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre and Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater, respectively.
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In the messages, the men boasted about charging high parking fees. At one point, Baker sent a screenshot showing that Live Nation had grossed more than $666,000 on premier parking in 2021 and then wrote, “Robbing them blind baby. That’s how we do.” Weinhold replied, “lol.”
At another point, Baker wrote, “these people are so stupid,” and Weinhold replied, “I have VIP parking up to $250 lol.” Baker then said, “I almost feel bad taking advantage of them. BAHAHAHAHA.”
In a statement shared with Billboard on Wednesday (March 12), Live Nation said, “The Slack exchange from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate.”
“Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly,” the statement continued. “Our business only works when fans have great experiences, which is why we’ve capped amphitheater venue fees at 15% and have invested $1 billion in the last 18 months into U.S. venues and fan amenities.”
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Baker is currently head of ticketing for Live Nation’s amphitheaters, and Weinhold is senior director of ticketing for Live Nation’s D.C. region. Baker was on the witness list for Live Nation’s antitrust trial, in which the DOJ and dozens of states alleged the company exercised monopoly power in the live music industry by controlling Ticketmaster in addition to venues and promotion services.
Live Nation announced a settlement with the DOJ on Monday (March 9), just as the second week of trial was beginning. The deal would require Live Nation to cap ticketing fees, open Ticketmaster’s back-end technology to rival ticketers, restrict how it leverages exclusive deals with venues and allow rival promoters to book its amphitheaters. Crucially, though, it does not require Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster — the DOJ’s original goal in filing the case two years ago.
Despite the deal, the court fight remains live because many of the state attorneys general who sued alongside the federal government have not signed on to the settlements. These states have brought on pro-antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler and are in active settlement negotiations with Live Nation. If they can’t agree to a resolution, the trial could resume as soon as next week.
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