Live Nation Challenges Federal Authority in Motion to Dismiss Ticket Resale Lawsuit

Washington, Friday, 9 January 2026.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster formally moved to dismiss a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit on January 6, 2026, characterizing the regulatory action as “egregious overreach.” The entertainment giant argues that the 2016 BOTS Act—central to the FTC’s complaint—was legislated to punish scalpers who circumvent security measures, not the platforms that issue tickets. While the company positions itself as a victim of bot attacks, the FTC alleges Ticketmaster “tacitly coordinated” with brokers to generate excessive revenue, accusing the firm of “triple dipping” on fees from the initial sale, the broker’s resale listing, and the final consumer purchase. This legal defense comes amid heightened scrutiny, as the company faces a separate antitrust trial with the Department of Justice scheduled for March 2026. The outcome will likely redefine liability standards in the secondary ticketing market, which generated an estimated $3.7 billion in resale fees for the company between 2019 and 2024.