FTC Sues Ticketmaster Over Alleged Illegal Resale Tactics

SEP 19·UPDATED SEP 19

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Above: U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson gives an interview on Aug. 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Stefani Reynolds/Boomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

This is a bipartisan issue that all Americans care about, and even the past Democratic Biden administration and Republican Trump administration agree on. Live Nation and its subsidiaries have boosted profits through shell-game-style schemes, damaging musicians and fans the most. Between Trump's DOJ lawsuit and the FTC probe, hopefully, ticket scalping and corporate profiteering will vanish for good.

Whiskey Riff

Democratic narrative

While Trump's anti-monopoly rhetoric sounds good, he may secretly be playing games with Live Nation. Newly revealed lobbying shows Live Nation has hired Trump allies to help secure a sweetheart deal from the government. Live Nation itself reportedly donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump, making this lawsuit seem more like political gamesmanship than law enforcement.

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