1.
Control the chokepoint. Ticketmaster won by owning distribution, not the product — venues had no alternative once locked in.
2.
Be the villain for profit. Ticketmaster charged high fees, took the heat, then split revenue with venues and artists who stayed silent.
3.
Political cover buys time. When regulators came, Trump loyalists joined the board — leverage works in courtrooms and Congress, not just markets.
