‘Robbing Them Blind, Baby. That's How We Do’: Live Nation Ticketing Messages Unsealed

Internal messages from two ticketing directors at Live Nation have been made public in court filings, revealing conversations in which the pair joked about charging concertgoers steep ancillary fees.

The Slack messages - exchanged between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold between 2021 and 2023 - surfaced during legal proceedings of the company's antitrust lawsuit.

Per Rolling Stone, the executives discussed adding high-margin extras in the messages, such as premium parking and preferred seating packages at amphitheatres. In one message, Baker wrote of fans: “These people are so stupid. I almost feel bad taking advantage of them.”

Weinhold described charging fans as much as $250 for VIP parking, as well as $50 to park in the grass and $60 for "closer grass" at shows. In another exchange discussing the growth of premium parking revenue, Baker celebrated the pricing strategy, writing: “Robbing them blind, baby. That’s how we do," to which Weinhold replied: "Lol".

The communications were initially sealed, but a US federal judge ordered them unsealed following requests from media organisations covering the case.

Live Nation moved to distance the company from the remarks after the messages became public. In a statement, it said the exchange “absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate”, adding that leadership had only learned of the messages when they became public.

"Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly. Our business only works when fans have great experiences, which is why we’ve capped amphitheater venue fees at 15 percent and have invested $1 billion in the last 18 months into U.S. venues and fan amenities," the statement reads.

The company also characterised the conversation as informal banter between "one junior staffer" and a "friend", rather than evidence of company policy or pricing decisions. At the time the messages were sent, both Baker and Weinhold were working for Live Nation. In the years since, Baker has moved on to head of ticketing for Venue Nation, the division that oversees Live Nation’s venues, including amphitheaters. And Weinhold serves as the senior ticketing director for the Washington, D.C., area.

Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been the subjects of an antitrust case brought by the US Department of Justice, with regulators and state attorneys general alleging its market power harms competition and inflates costs for fans.

The case centred on allegations that Live Nation leveraged its control of major venues and tours to pressure arenas and amphitheatres into long-term exclusive ticketing agreements with Ticketmaster. Prosecutors argued the company’s integrated model gave limited choice for venues, restricted rival ticketing platforms, and weakened competitive pressure on fees and service standards.

Live Nation denied the allegations. A lawyer for the company, David Marriott, insisted it “did not have monopoly power” during his opening statement. He argued instead that the live entertainment “marketplace is more competitive than ever it has been before”, asserting that “every customer we get is a hard-fought battle in a competitive market”.

Earlier in the week, Live Nation and Ticketmaster settled the antitrust case. The deal will not force Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which merged in 2010, to be broken up, but the live entertainment giant will reportedly face a fine of approximately $300 million as well as be forced to implement several changes to its business.