Ticketmaster Shuts Down TradeDesk Amid FTC Lawsuit: What It Means for Fans and Artists
Ticketmaster is shutting down its TradeDesk ticket resale platform following an FTC lawsuit. Learn how this move could change concert ticket resales, impact artists, and reshape the live event industry.
Ticketmaster Faces Legal Pressure Over Resale Practices
Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketing platform, is facing fresh scrutiny after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several state attorneys general filed a lawsuit accusing it and parent company Live Nation Entertainment of monopolistic practices and violations of the BOTS Act. In response, Ticketmaster announced it will permanently shut down its TradeDesk resale platform for concert tickets and introduce tighter seller verification.
In an October 17 letter to U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ben Ray Luján obtained by Dave Brooks of Billboard, Live Nation executive vice president Dan Wall said the new measures are designed “to protect artists and fans” and to demonstrate compliance with federal anti-scalping laws.
Inside the Ticketmaster Policy Changes
The TradeDesk shutdown represents a major shift in Ticketmaster’s resale strategy. The company says the platform, long used by professional resellers, will no longer support concert tickets. Additionally, Ticketmaster will limit every seller—individual or corporate—to a single verified account tied to a taxpayer identification number. Duplicate or suspicious accounts will be removed through new AI-based verification.
Resellers will also need to provide Social Security numbers to list tickets on the marketplace. This, the company says, will add transparency and traceability to resale transactions. Ticketmaster claims it already blocks over 200 million automated bot attempts daily, stopping nearly 99 percent of fake account creations.
[Read the full text of Ticketmaster and Live Nation’s Congressional Letter here.]
Why the Move Matters
While Ticketmaster frames the shutdown as a reform effort, analysts suggest it’s also a way to consolidate control over both primary and secondary ticket sales. By forcing more resales to happen within its own ecosystem, Ticketmaster can regulate pricing, transfers, and fees — effectively controlling every step of the ticket’s lifecycle.
Critics argue this approach could reduce transparency and limit consumer choice. Independent resale platforms may find it harder to compete, especially if fans are locked into Ticketmaster’s own resale marketplace.
Artists and Fans Respond
Artists and fans have expressed mixed reactions. Some performers hope the new policies will curb scalpers and improve access for real fans, while others suspect it’s a PR move meant to appease regulators. Music fans on social media quipped that “Ticketmaster is selling reform like it’s another $40 convenience fee.”
Some also highlight a deeper issue: market concentration. As long as one company controls ticketing, promotion, and venues, reforms may only scratch the surface.
Future of Ticket Resales
The end of TradeDesk could usher in a new era of centralized resale, with Ticketmaster managing everything from first sale to transfer.
Fans hope tighter regulations will limit bots and large-scale scalping. Artists see it as a possible step toward fairness in live entertainment. And regulators, Live Nation hopes, may view it as the first major test in holding the ticketing giant accountable.
ALSO: NIVA and NITO respond to Ticketmaster’s Congressional Letter
Bruce Houghton
