A pair of Live Nation employees joked about charging fans outrageous fees in newly unsealed private messages tied to the company's antitrust case.
According to Bloomberg, Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, two regional ticketing directors for Live Nation amphitheaters, exchanged private messages in January 2022 boasting about hiking "ancillary fees" like VIP parking, lawn chair rentals, and other add-ons.
Baker wrote: "I gouge them on ancil prices" to make up for changes in base ticket prices.
In one exchange about a Kid Rock show in Tampa, Baker said: "These people are so stupid" and "I have VIP parking up to $250 lol." He followed it up with: "I almost feel bad taking advantage of them" and "ВАНАНАНАНАНА."
For a Virginia concert, Weinhold shared a screenshot showing parking prices up to $250, writing: "For one parking spot lol."
In another conversation, Weinhold said: "I'm done asking people for permission... I just do it now," while Baker added: "I charge $50 to park in the grass Imao. I charge $60 for closer grass."
Baker also shared a spreadsheet showing premier parking gross revenue had jumped from about $470,000 in 2018 to about $666,000 in 2021, commenting: "Robbing them blind baby That's how we do."
Live Nation said in a statement that the exchange "absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate," per Rolling Stone.
The statement continued: "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% and have invested $1 billion in the last 18 months into U.S. venues and fan amenities."
"The Slack exchange from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate," their statement added, per Bloomberg.
At the time of the messages, both Baker and Weinhold worked for Live Nation. Baker is now head of ticketing for the unit overseeing the company's amphitheaters and was expected to testify in the federal antitrust trial before the Justice Department reached a settlement, while Weinhold is senior ticketing director for the Washington, D.C., area.
Live Nation had asked Judge Arun Subramanian to seal the messages, arguing they would prejudice the jury, while the Justice Department said they showed how the company could impose excessive fees without fear of artists leaving because alternatives were limited.
After the settlement, Bloomberg and other media outlets petitioned to unseal the exhibits, and Subramanian approved the request on Wednesday (March 11).
Although the settlement pauses the federal case, state attorneys general are reportedly eager to continue litigation, with the judge ordering them to try to reach a deal by the end of the week.