Promoters of Performing Arts and Sports Events NAICS 711310, 711320

Oct 29, 2025 - FTC, States Sue Live Nation and Ticketmaster Over Resale Practices

• The FTC and multiple state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging deceptive practices and illegal ticket resales that inflated prices and restricted consumer access, according to CBS News. For promoters of performing arts and sporting events, the case, filed in September 2025, could reshape the ticketing landscape. Ticketmaster controls some 80% of the tickets sold by major venues, according to the FTC. Allegations of monopolistic control and bait-and-switch pricing raise concerns about transparency, artist autonomy, and equitable access. If successful, the suit may lead to increased competition among ticketing platforms, offering promoters more flexibility in pricing, distribution, and audience engagement.
• Consumers are signaling sustained economic unease, an outlook that may challenge discretionary purchases like tickets for live entertainment and sports events, as both confidence and sentiment indexes remain at multi-year lows amid persistent inflation and job concerns. In September 2025, the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board fell to 94.2, with job optimism down and inflation expectations high. Buying intentions dropped for cars and travel, while interest in homes and smartphones rose. Confidence declined across most age and income groups, especially among households earning $25,000–$35,000 and over $200,000. The consumer sentiment index held at 55 in October 2025 from the previous month, and was down 22% year-over-year, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Overall, the data signals cautious consumer sentiment, which could dampen spending heading into the holiday season.

• According to Pollstar’s mid-year business analysis, year-over-year average per show grosses and ticket sales were up significantly while overall numbers, ticket prices, and shows fell. The Top 100 Tours Worldwide posted a double-digit increase in average revenue per show mid-year, up 24.9% year over year reaching $1,713,557. Ticket sales were also up 32.1% mid-year over the prior year, reaching an average of 14,229. The report revealed that average ticket prices were down 5.5% in the period, reaching $120.43. “That drop, in part, would seem, to reflect 2025’s uneven economic conditions marred by trade wars, a volatile stock market, shaky consumer confidence, inflation and mixed employment reports,” the report noted. The number of reported live performances was also down in the period, falling 26.7% during the first half of the year.
• A new study by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) showed that independent venues generated $153 billion in total economic input in the US in 2024, though nearly 65% of stages struggled with profitability, according to a report in Pollstar. In 2024, independent stages put on more than 153,000 events in the US, serving 183.7 million fans and supporting nearly 908,000 jobs. The study revealed that 64% of venues were not profitable in 2024, noting top operational challenges for venues included marketing and bringing in an audience, higher artist and staffing costs, inflation, rising insurance costs, and scalpers and predatory resale platforms, among others. Over 90% of independent venues operated year-round, with 62% hosting artist showcases. The study was conducted by economic research firm TEConomy Partners.