Live Nation’s CEO, Michael Rapino, has condemned messages sent by some of the company’s leaders that boasted about overcharging fans for tickets. He called the messages “disgusting.”
Buying tickets to see your favorite artist can be really frustrating. You often have to deal with long lines, early access sales, and scalpers, plus ticket prices often increase as the event gets closer.
Ticketmaster and Live Nation have faced increasing criticism and lawsuits regarding their pricing methods, including a recent legal challenge from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging they mislead customers about prices.
Two Live Nation executives were discovered discussing how they were overcharging fans and unfairly profiting from ticket prices.
Live Nation boss addressed leaked messages
During court testimony about the case, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino described leaked messages as “disgusting.”
Rapino called the situation unacceptable and stated it doesn’t reflect how his company does business, while also explaining the reasoning behind the fees customers pay.
When CNN asked if Rapino’s behavior was as ‘outrageous’ as some other Live Nation employees had claimed, they simply said, ‘No.’
Ticketmaster executives were recorded boasting about excessively charging music fans. One director even joked about taking advantage of customers, admitting they charge up to $250 for VIP parking and almost feeling guilty about it.
— TopMob (@TopMob) March 12, 2026
The head of Live Nation has faced criticism in the past for statements he made regarding how much tickets cost.
Last September, he mentioned that concert tickets were surprisingly affordable and believed prices could still be raised. He also noted that fans had previously criticized him for charging too much.
He pointed out that people often spend large amounts of money on sports tickets – like $70,000 for courtside seats at a Knicks game – without hesitation, but get upset if they’re asked to pay $800 to see Beyoncé. He feels music is undervalued compared to sports, as he shared at the Game Plan conference hosted by CNBC and Boardroom.
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2026-03-20 13:19