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Live Nation says FTC twists BOTS act to target Ticketmaster. By Bonnie Eslinger ( October 14, 2026, 6:56 PM EDT) - Live Nation and Ticketmaster fought back against the Federal Trade Commission's case accusing the companies of ignoring ticket scalpers and failing to disclose significant Ticketmaster fees upfront, telling a California federal judge the agency is targeting the companies "for not perfectly blocking all ticket purchase abuse on Ticketmaster's platform."... Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as * Daily newsletters * Expert analysis * Mobile app * Advanced search * Judge information * Real-time alerts * 450K+ searchable archived articles Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. Attached documents. Related sections. Case information. Case title. Case number. Court. Nature of suit. Judge. Date filed. Law firms. Companies. Government agencies. Judge analytics. powered by Lex Machina(R) From major deals to high-profile litigation, the firms named to Law360's 2026 Regional Powerhouses list are leading the way across 14 states. They deliver deep regional expertise and make a lasting impact at the state and local level.

Tesco Clubcard 500 new partners including Nike, Ticketmaster. The expansion welcomes 500 new Points Partners across fashion, beauty, home and travel brands (Image: Tesco) Shoppers can now collect Tesco Clubcard points at 500 online retailers. Tesco rolled out the expansion on Wednesday, October 14, introducing partner brands across fashion, beauty, home, and travel. Previously, members of the supermarket loyalty scheme could only collect points through 13 external partners. The new retailers include Nike, Boden, and Ticketmaster. Shoppers must access each retailer's online shop through the Clubcard section of the Tesco app or the Clubcard website to collect points. Tesco delivered the expanded scheme in partnership with loyalty specialist Valuedynamx. Points rates vary by retailer, with several brands offering more than the standard rate of one point for every pound spent. For instance, Nike offers up to four points per pound spent, meaning a £100 spend produces 400 points. Under the scheme, 400 points can become a £4 voucher. That voucher can also be tripled to £12 when exchanged with seven restaurant Clubcard Reward Partners. Shama Wilson, Tesco's Group Loyalty & Membership Director, said: "We are really excited to be giving Clubcard members even more ways to collect points on more brands they already know and love." She added: "Today marks the biggest expansion of the partner brands where customers can collect Clubcard points, with more than 500 brands now available across fashion, beauty, home, travel and more." She said: "As we head into Black Friday and Christmas, customers can collect points on spending they are planning to do and turn those points into rewards that matter most to them."

Court allows FTC drip pricing lawsuit against Ticketmaster to proceed. LinkedIn Facebook X Last month, a federal court in California denied Live Nation and Ticketmaster's motion to dismiss a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit challenging several aspects of their ticketing practices, including their display of mandatory fees. The FTC, joined by seven states, alleges that Ticketmaster advertised ticket prices that excluded mandatory fees, which were disclosed later in the purchase process and could raise the total cost by as much as 44%. The court concluded that the FTC plausibly alleged deception under Section 5 even though consumers saw the total price before completing their purchases. The lawsuit also includes claims concerning Ticketmaster's alleged circumvention of ticket purchase limits and its dealings with ticket brokers, including claims under the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act. The court allowed those claims to proceed as well. The ruling underscores a broader lesson for businesses that advertise prices with mandatory fees: disclosing the full cost before checkout may not cure a potentially misleading price presented earlier in the consumer journey. The decision also suggests that even a "+Fees" disclosure may fall short when it leaves consumers without a meaningful sense of what they will ultimately pay. Why Ticketmaster's fee disclosures may be deceptive. Live Nation and Ticketmaster argued that their pricing was not deceptive because consumers saw the final price, fees included, before buying. The court disagreed. The court relied on Ninth Circuit precedent holding that the FTC Act "is violated if it induces the first contact through deception, even if the buyer later becomes fully informed before entering the contract." The FTC alleged that Ticketmaster first displayed a ticket's face-value price, which consumers could use to filter their options, and that this price did not include mandatory fees. Those fees were disclosed later in the purchase process. According to the court, those allegations plausibly showed that consumers were drawn in by lower advertised prices before being presented with a higher total price. Showing the full total before the purchase was complete did not resolve the alleged deception. FTC deception claims versus state Consumer Protection law. Interestingly, the federal court in Maryland reached a different conclusion on a putative class action claim against a Ticketmaster competitor, Vivid Seats, under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act. There, the court found that plaintiff had failed to allege reliance, an essential element of a plaintiff's claim under the Maryland statute, where the full price was disclosed before the purchase was consummated and plaintiff had not alleged that she would not have bought the ticket in question if she had known the full price at the beginning of her purchase journey. Reliance is not an element of a Section 5 deception claim. A "+fees" Disclosure may not be enough. The court also rejected the argument that displaying "+Fees" next to the initial price adequately disclosed the extra charges. The court called the label "vague and ambiguous." Even if it tells consumers that fees will apply, it does not tell them how much, and the amount "can be significant." As the court put it, "a reasonable consumer would not associate '+Fees' as a 44% increase in cost." That conclusion reflects a familiar advertising law principle: a truthful disclosure may not cure a misleading net impression. For pricing claims, the decision suggests that simply flagging that mandatory charges exist may not be enough when the upfront price materially understates what consumers will actually pay. FTC junk fees rule raises pricing stakes. The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of "junk fees" and drip pricing. The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, which took effect in May 2025, requires businesses selling live-event tickets and short-term lodging to display the total price, including mandatory fees, upfront. In explaining its historical approach to pricing, Ticketmaster argued that adopting all-in pricing before a nationwide rule would have put it at a competitive disadvantage because consumers could instead choose platforms advertising lower upfront prices. The court viewed that explanation as supporting the FTC's theory that those prices could draw consumers in through deception. Although the court was deciding only whether the FTC had adequately pleaded its claims, not whether Live Nation and Ticketmaster's practices actually violated the FTC Act, the decision is another reason for advertisers to look closely at how prices are presented throughout the consumer journey. The lesson extends beyond ticket sellers. Where mandatory fees are unavoidable, businesses should be cautious about leading with a price that excludes them and relying on later disclosures to reveal the total price. At least under this court's reasoning, showing consumers the full price before they pay may still be too late if the initial advertised price excluded mandatory fees. Meta Description: FTC Ticketmaster lawsuit moves forward as court examines mandatory fees, drip pricing, and whether later disclosures cure deceptive ticket prices. DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations. Attorney Advertising. (C) Venable LLP 2026