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Ticketmaster CEO says concert tickets are too cheap, actually, if you think about it

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michael rapino, ceo of live nation, in sunglasses

In perhaps the most out-of-touch statement since Lucille Bluth priced bananas, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino — the boss of the company that runs Ticketmaster — said that, actually, concert tickets are too cheap. I'd like to see him tell that to literally any non-millionaire American who's tried to see their favorite artist.

The comments from Rapino came this week while speaking at CNBC and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference. They quickly circulated online and, frankly, I thought they had to be fake. As a CEO, it's the kind of thing you might think, but probably not something you say out loud.

Ticketmaster boss Michael Rapino says concert tickets are 'underpriced'

"In sports, I joke it’s like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for a Knicks courtside seat. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé"

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— Culture Crave 🍿 (@culturecrave.co) September 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM

And if you think we're stripping out some crucial context, think again — the executive was pretty clear in his assessment. For full context, the comments came as Rapino noted that the most expensive sports tickets go for wildly high prices compared to concerts.

"Music has been under-appreciated," Rapino said, according to Vice. "In sports, I joke it's like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for a Knicks courtside [seat]. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé."

He argued that concerts — especially those from the biggest stars — are now more complex productions and should come with higher price tags.

He even said that there's plenty of room for concert tickets to get even more expensive.

"We have a lot of runway left," Rapino said, via Rolling Stone. "So when you read about ticket prices going up, the average concert price is still $72. Try going to a Laker game for that, and there's 80 of them. The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time."

Let's, for a moment, forget that someone paying $70,000 to attend a basketball game is already ridiculous — a gross display of conspicuous consumption, and, in practice, a fee for sitting close to athletes, TV cameras, and celebrities with comped tickets. Sports games are higher priced — and remain the crown jewel of televised events — because they are one-off events with an undetermined outcome. Yes, there are 82 regular-season Laker games, but no one is like the other. You're paying for exclusive access to a thing that will never be repeated.

A concert, meanwhile, is, by its nature, much like the night before and the night after. It's also not totally dissimilar to what you'll find on Spotify. I'm saying this as someone who goes to way more shows than sports games. Buying entry to a concert or show is my primary ticket-buying experience. And, in my experience, prices are really freaking high.

On average, a ticket to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour cost $3,071 in Indianapolis, the capital of a state with a median income of $71,959. The price of a single ticket was double the average monthly rent in the city. That surely cannot be considered "underpriced."

In case you were wondering, Rapino's total compensation last year was $33 million, which was a jump from the measly $23.4 million the year prior and a big dip from $139 million in total comp — yes, you read that right — in 2022.

As consumers, we've all come to expect paying high prices — and excessive Ticketmaster fees — to go see our favorite artists. And we know that arrow is only pointing in one direction going forward. But next time you pull out your credit card to shell out hundreds of bucks — thousands, maybe — to see your favorite musician, you can at least take solace in knowing the Ticketmaster boss thinks you got a great deal.

This story reflects the author's opinion.

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NYT Strands hints, answers for April 24, 2026

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A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're rowdy.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hullabaloo

The words are related to sound.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ruckus.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Lets Get Loud.

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NYT Strands word list for April 24

  • Shout

  • Holler

  • Clamor

  • Lets Get Loud

  • Bellow

  • Whoop

  • Caterwaul

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

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Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

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Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a good drink.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Intoxicated.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is…

DRUNK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

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FCC challenges gender identity themes on kids TV

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A young girl watches TV with remote in her hand.

The Federal Communications Commission is using the presence of "controversial gender identity issues" in children's television programming as a pretense for questioning how TV ratings are developed and enforced, according to a notice published Wednesday by the federal agency.

The notice generally assesses TV ratings, but specifically points out that these industry guidelines have rated shows featuring "transgender and gender non-binary programming" as appropriate for children. It argues that parents aren't provided this information, "thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families."

In the document, the FCC poses a series of open-ended questions about TV ratings development, including whether the board responsible for the guidelines is "sufficiently balanced" with viewpoints outside of the entertainment industry and if faith-based organizations should be represented in the body.

"What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives — which are not well represented in the media industry — in its ratings process?" the notice asks.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the public notice on X, explaining that "parents have raised concerns with the industry's approach." He added that these parents believe "New York & Hollywood programmers" promote objectionable content in kids programming without disclosing that to parents. Carr didn't mention gender identity in his X post.

TV parents guidelines can include both a rating as well as descriptors for content that includes crude language, sexual situations, and violence.

LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the public notice, arguing that it amounted to discrimination and censorship.

"Trump's FCC is trying to turn transgender people into a warning label," Tyler Hack, executive director of the transgender rights advocacy group Christopher Street Project, said in a statement. "It is dehumanizing, and it is part of a broader political strategy to stigmatize LGBTQ+ people in every corner of public life."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, described the notice as government overreach.

"Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda," Ellis said in a statement.

This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship. Carr has claimed broadcasters air "hoaxes" and "news distortions" that also happen to be unfavorable to President Trump. Carr has suggested the licenses of such broadcasters won't be renewed.

In March, dozens of free speech experts argued in an open letter to Carr that his threats against broadcasters are "unlawful jawboning" and his vague characterization of "fake news" violates the First Amendment. The authors called on Carr to "withdraw" his threats.

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