Two Live Nation ticketing directors boasted about “robbing” fans blind and “taking advantage of them” with high fees in newly unsealed chat records tied to the company’s antitrust lawsuit.
The chats, first reported by Bloomberg, were sent between Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, who were then serving as regional directors of ticketing for Live Nation amphitheaters. The pair appeared to be speaking primarily about “ancillary fees” related to things like parking and VIP access, as opposed to service fees tied directly to tickets. Though at one point, Baker said, “I gouge them on ancil prices” to make up for changes in the base prices for seats.
In one exchange from January 2022, Baker shared a screen grab of data related to a Kid Rock show in Tampa and commented, “These people are so stupid” and “I have VIP parking up to $250 lol.” He then said, “I almost feel bad taking advantage of them,” followed by an all-caps, “BAHAHAHAHAHA.”
The pair then discussed raising parking prices for another Kid Rock gig in Virginia, with Weinhold appearing to show a screenshot of parking prices also up to $250. “For one parking spot lol,” Weinhold wrote.
(A rep for Kid Rock did not immediately return a request for comment; the musician was potentially going to testify at the Live Nation trial before the company announced a tentative settlement with the government earlier this week.)
In a different conversation about parking, also from January 2022, Weinhold spoke about pushing the price of reserved parking to “$30 above” the minimum price, adding, “I’m done asking people for permission… I just do it now.” Baker then said, “I charge $50 to park in the grass lmao. I charge $60 for closer grass.”
A few moments later, Baker shared a screenshot of a spreadsheet showing how premier parking gross revenue had jumped from about $470,000 in 2018 to about $666,000 in 2021. He commented: “Robbing them blind baby That’s how we do.” Weinhold replied, “lol.”
In a statement, Live Nation said the exchange “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. 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 statement characterized Baker and Weinhold as “one junior staffer” and a “friend,” though it’s unclear who is who. 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. (He was also set to testify during the trial.) And Weinhold serves as the senior ticketing director for the Washington, D.C., area.
Prior to this week’s settlement, Live Nation had asked Judge Arun Subramanian to seal the messages between Baker and Weinhold as evidence, saying they would prejudice the jury. The Justice Department countered that they showed how “Live Nation is able to impose excessive prices that degrade the fan experience without fear of artists switching to another amphitheater because, in most cases, no alternative exists.”
After the settlement was announced earlier this week, Bloomberg and a handful of other media outlets filed a motion to have the exhibits unsealed, which Subramanian approved last night (March 11).
The Live Nation case is currently on hold following the surprise settlement announced earlier this week. While the deal likely brings the company’s legal battle with the federal government to a close, the case could still continue next week, with many of the state co-plaintiffs reportedly eager to continue the fight. Subramanian, however, has ordered the hold-out state attorneys general to try to reach a deal by the end of this week.
