Live Nation, Ticketmaster Report Continued Growth
Live Nation Entertainment reported Q2 2026 revenue of $7.7 billion, a 9% increase over the same quarter last year, just beating analyst expectations. A record 49 million fans attended concerts.
Concert revenue was $6.4 billion, up 8% over the same period last year. International attendance at stadiums, arenas, and festivals was up more than 20% compared to the same period last year.
Food and beverage spending was also up in the high single digits. Ticketmaster revenue came topped $852 million, up 15% and Sponsorship revenues was $383 million, up 12% vs. Q2 2025.
Sphere Revenue Rises
Sphere Entertainment reported strong Q2 revenue thanks to strong performance at its Las Vegas Sphere venue.
The company posted $313.6 million in revenue for the quarter, an 11% increase over the same period last year and beating Wall Street expectations. Executive Chairman and CEO James Dolan said the company is on pace to grow this year while pursuing expansion plans both in the U.S. and abroad.
FTC Fine For Elite Events & Tickets LLC
Ticket reseller Elite Events will pay $300,000 in civil penalties to resolve Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations that it purchased millions of dollars’ worth of tickets to high-demand events by illegally circumventing measures designed to limit the number of tickets that can be purchased to a single event.
The FTC alleged that Elite Events and Tickets LLC, which also does business as Smart Scalpers, and owners, Kevin W. McKerley and Aaron L. Fera, violated the Better Online Ticket Sales Act buying and reselling tickets to 2,400 different events. The act makes it illegal to “circumvent a security measure, access control system, or other technological control or measure on an Internet website or online service that is used by the ticket issuer to enforce posted event ticket limits or to maintain the integrity of posted online ticket purchasing order rules.” e tickets on the secondary marketplace at a significant profit.
Wasserman's The TEAM Sold
Casey Wasserman is exiting the company he founded 25 years ago after selling his shares in Wasserman (rebranded as The Team earlier this year) to Providence Equity Partners. Providence has held a majority stake in the agency since buying in 2022.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Mike Watts, who stepped in after Wasserman was accused of a connection to Jeffery Epstein, will be CEO.
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