Ticketmaster Implements Major Policy Changes Amid FTC Lawsuit

In response to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit filed in September 2025, Ticketmaster has announced significant changes to its ticket resale operations. The company will prohibit users and ticket brokers from maintaining multiple accounts, require ticket brokers to provide taxpayer identification for resale accounts, and discontinue its TradeDesk inventory management tool. These measures aim to address allegations of anti-competitive practices and violations of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act.

Ticketmaster to Shut Down TradeDesk in Resale Pivot Following FTC LawsuitTicketmaster Claims New Rules Will Limit Scalpers As It Faces FTC LawsuitTicketmaster bans use of multiple accounts after FTC lawsuitRolling StoneLA TimesHollywood Reporter

The FTC, along with seven state attorneys general, accused Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, of colluding with ticket brokers to manipulate ticket sales and inflate prices. The lawsuit alleges that the companies allowed brokers to exceed ticket purchase limits and facilitated large-scale ticket harvesting, enabling brokers to resell tickets at marked-up prices. The FTC claims this practice allows Ticketmaster to profit multiple times from the same ticket through various fees.

Ticketmaster bans use of multiple accounts after FTC lawsuitTicketmaster Claims New Rules Will Limit Scalpers As It Faces FTC LawsuitRolling StoneHollywood ReporterLA TimesBillboard

In a letter dated October 17, 2025, Live Nation's Executive Vice President Daniel M. Wall outlined the new policies. Effective immediately, all users, including professional resellers, will be limited to a single verified account linked to a unique taxpayer ID. Wall stated that excess accounts would be canceled and that Ticketmaster would deploy AI tools to identify and eliminate duplicate accounts. Additionally, the TradeDesk platform, which has faced criticism for allegedly aiding scalpers, will be shut down to mitigate reputational damage.

Billboard

Wall emphasized that Ticketmaster has invested over $1 billion in anti-bot technology and has blocked billions of bot attempts, asserting that the company has done more than any other in the industry to combat ticket scalping. He described the FTC's claims as "categorically false" and argued that the lawsuit misinterprets the BOTS Act, which was intended to target technological circumvention rather than the legacy practice of brokers maintaining multiple accounts.

Billboard

Despite these changes, critics remain skeptical. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) expressed that Ticketmaster's actions are insufficient to regain the trust of fans and artists, arguing that the company has previously opened its systems to predatory resellers. They called for a cap on resale prices to ensure tickets are sold at face value. Additionally, the National Independent Talent Association criticized the practice of reselling tickets above face value, emphasizing the negative impact on both artists and fans.

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While Ticketmaster claims that resale revenue constitutes less than 2% of its total income, the FTC lawsuit highlights that the company generated $16.4 billion in fees from 2019 to 2024, with $3.7 billion from resale tickets alone. This discrepancy raises questions about the true financial impact of resale practices on Ticketmaster's business model.

Ticketmaster Claims New Rules Will Limit Scalpers As It Faces FTC Lawsuit

As the legal battle continues, Ticketmaster's new policies are seen as an attempt to mitigate political and public backlash. The company is advocating for reforms to the BOTS Act that would strengthen regulations against automated ticket-buying tools. The outcome of the FTC lawsuit and the effectiveness of Ticketmaster's new measures will likely shape the future of ticket resale practices in the industry.

Ticketmaster to Shut Down TradeDesk in Resale Pivot Following FTC Lawsuit

• “presents a distorted view of the facts and the law.” — Daniel M. Wall, Executive Vice President, Live Nation

Billboard

• “removing TradeDesk’s concert ticket management functionality from the market” — Daniel M. Wall, Executive Vice President, Live Nation

Billboard

• “Our incentives are plainly to favor artists and fans.” — Daniel M. Wall, Executive Vice President, Live Nation

Live Nation’s Ticketmaster bans multiple ticket seller accounts, denies FTC’s claims of profiting from scalpers

• “Live Nation’s ‘actions’ on resale detailed in a letter to Congress are too little and too late to get back the trust of fans, artists and stages,” — National Independent Venue Association Statement

Hollywood Reporter