Ticketmaster's Monopoly: Is Trump's Order Just a Slap on the Wrist?

When the White House issued an executive order on March 31, 2025, promising to tackle the predatory ticketing industry, it felt like a rare moment of clarity in an administration often mired in chaos. For years, fans have been gouged by exorbitant prices, hidden fees, and a secondary market that thrives on exploitation, all while artists see their profits siphoned off by corporate giants. The order, signed by President Donald J. Trump, vows to enforce competition laws, crack down on ticket scalpers, and demand price transparency, a move that could, in theory, restore some fairness to the live entertainment world.

Yet, beneath the surface, this bold declaration rings hollow to those who’ve watched the ticketing behemoth grow unchecked for decades. Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, which control over 70% of the U.S. ticketing market, have long been accused of monopolistic practices that inflate costs and stifle competition. The Department of Justice sued them in May 2024, alleging they’ve turned concerts into a luxury only the wealthy can afford. Trump’s order nods at this fight, but its lack of teeth, its reliance on existing laws rather than new mandates, leaves me skeptical. It’s a gesture, not a revolution.

Still, the frustration is palpable. Anyone who’s tried to snag tickets to see Taylor Swift or Beyoncé in recent years knows the sting of watching prices soar from $100 to $10,000 in seconds, thanks to bots and scalpers. The Better Online Ticket Sales Act, passed in 2016, was supposed to stop this, but the Federal Trade Commission has enforced it just once in nearly a decade. Trump’s directive to ‘rigorously enforce’ it sounds good, but without real resources or a clear plan, it’s hard to believe fans will see relief anytime soon.

Let’s be clear: the ticketing industry’s rot runs deep, and it’s not just scalpers to blame. Live Nation’s stranglehold, cemented by its 2010 merger with Ticketmaster, has crushed smaller venues and innovators who dared to challenge the status quo. The DOJ found repeated violations of a consent decree meant to keep them in check, including strong-arming venues into exclusive deals. Advocates for breaking up this monopoly, a cause championed by consumer rights groups and artists alike, see Trump’s order as a weak sidestep. It calls for enforcement of competition laws but stops short of demanding structural change.

Price transparency, another pillar of the order, is a noble idea, long overdue. Hidden fees can jack up ticket costs by 30%, a practice the Biden administration began dismantling with rules against ‘convenience’ charges. The TICKET Act, passed in 2024, mandates all-in pricing, yet compliance lags. Trump’s push for the FTC to act, maybe even propose new regulations, could help, but it’s a half-measure when the real fix lies in dismantling the market distortions Live Nation thrives on. Why not call for a breakup? Why not hit the root instead of pruning the branches?

Then there’s the secondary market, a Wild West of speculative sales and price gouging. The order targets deceptive practices here, too, building on outrage from fans burned by the Eras Tour fiasco, where resale tickets hit tens of thousands. But enforcement is the Achilles’ heel. The FTC’s lone BOTS Act case in 2021 nabbed a few bad actors, yet bots still snatch 42% of tickets on primary platforms. State attorneys general, roped in by Trump’s order, might make a dent, but without federal muscle, this feels like delegating a crisis to the underfunded.

Tax compliance adds another layer. The IRS, armed with tighter rules from the American Rescue Plan Act, now tracks resellers earning over $600 a year, a shift from the old $20,000 threshold. It’s a smart move to claw back untaxed profits from a ballooning secondary market. Trump’s order nods at this, tasking the Treasury to ensure scalpers pay up. Fine, but it’s a sideshow. The real issue isn’t tax evasion; it’s a system that lets corporate titans and bots dictate who gets to see a show.

For those who believe art and culture belong to everyone, not just the elite, this executive order is a maddening tease. It’s a chance to cheer federal action against corporate greed, yet it’s crippled by its own timidity. Supporters of Trump might argue it’s a pragmatic step, leveraging existing tools to avoid gridlock in a divided Congress. That’s a cop-out. Pragmatism doesn’t excuse leaving the biggest culprits unscathed while fans and artists suffer. Real change demands boldness, the kind that breaks up monopolies and puts people over profits.

History backs this up. The Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger was a disaster from day one, greenlit despite warnings it would choke competition. Fifteen years later, we’re still paying the price, literally. Consumer advocates, artists, and even some lawmakers have begged for a reckoning, pointing to antitrust successes like the breakup of AT&T in the 1980s as proof it can work. Trump’s order ignores that legacy, opting for a Band-Aid when surgery’s needed.

What’s at stake isn’t just cheaper tickets. It’s access. It’s the kid in a small town who dreams of seeing their favorite band but can’t because bots and brokers snatched every seat. It’s the artist who pours their soul into a tour only to see resellers rake in the cash. A truly just system would prioritize them, not prop up a broken market with tepid reforms. The Biden-era push for transparency and the DOJ’s lawsuit offered a start; Trump’s order could’ve finished the job but pulls its punch.

This executive order isn’t nothing. It’s a signal that even this administration can’t ignore the public’s outrage over a ticketing industry run amok. Enforcing the BOTS Act, pushing transparency, cracking down on scalpers, these are steps forward. But they’re baby steps when we need a leap. The FTC’s report, due in six months, might spark real action, yet I’m not holding my breath. Not when the order’s vague wording leaves so much wiggle room for agencies to do the bare minimum.

Fans deserve better. Artists deserve better. If we want live entertainment to be a shared joy, not a privilege for the rich, we’ve got to demand more than half-hearted edicts. Break up Live Nation. Ban bots outright. Cap resale markups. These aren’t radical ideas; they’re common sense for anyone who’s ever been priced out of a concert. Trump’s order is a flicker of hope, but it’s up to us, the people who fill those seats, to turn it into a fire.