AUSA Danielle Drory: Does Xcel Center compete with the Target Center in Minneapolis?
Helgerson: Yes.
AUSA Drory: Who do you work with on ticketing?
Helgerson: Ticketmaster.
AUSA Drory: What do you consider?
Helgerson: Economics, technology, customer experience
AUSA: How many concerts does the Xcel Center host per year?
Helgerson: 35. In the tens of millions of dollars. It's material. There are only 44 NHL games at home per year. So we need to program the arena, which St. Paul owns. We need revenue
Judge Subramanian: Swear him in.
Mitchell Helgerson: I am the chief revenue officer of the Minnesota Wild
Judge: We do not have responsibilities in St. Paul. We'll be here. You do what you do, the defense will have time to cross examine.
Live Nation's Marriott: You were fired by MSG due to ticketing?
Abbamondi: That or fan behavior. (Laughs)
Marriott: No further questions.
Judge: Ms. Markel?
AUSA Markel: No questions.
Judge: Next witness.
AUSA: Mitch Helgerson - he's due back in St. Paul
Live Nation's Marriott: You were at Barclays from 2020 to 2022
Abbamondi: I was told in January 2022 I wasn't being renewed. But I didn't leave until mid 2022. I was being eased out.
Marriott: Because of your SeatGeek decision?
Abbamondi: I got 2 other reasons
Live Nation's Marriott: The Strokes said turn off re-sale?
Abbamondi: They did.
Marriott: For a show, SeatGeek throttled things-
Abbamondi: Tell me what you mean by throttle
Marriott. Really... You concluded SeatGeek fell short?
Abbamondi: My boss did.
Live Nation's Marriott: You claim that Billie Eilish didn't play Barclays as retaliation?
Abbamondi: That's what my team told me.
Marriott: When artists tell tickets directly to the public they have more control, right?
Abbamondi: Yes.
Live Nation's Marriott: You believe Live Nation retaliated by not sending shows?
Abbamondi: That was my view.
Marriott: You don't know why artists decided as they did, do you?
Abbamondi: I don't.
Live Nation's Marriott: You never asked, What was that winky emoji about, right?
Abbamondi: Right, I did not ask that.
Marriott: You spoke with Mr. Marciano of AEG and AXS?
Abbamondi: Jay's call to me was-
Marriott: Answer my question.
Live Nation's Marriott: How is that a threat?
Abbamondi: She said, think about the wider relationship, not SeatGeek's offer.
Marriott: But you didn't tell Mr. Tsai?
Abbamondi: I told others. I viewed it as a friend working out with a warning
Abbamondi: We sent them a lot of lawyers' letters.
Live Nation's Marriott: But you never used. Let's talk about the Patty Kim text. You are friends with her?
Abbamondi: Yes.
Marriott: She says, You should think about the bigger relationship with LN, then a winky
Live Nation's Marriott: Is it the case that you discussed with SeatGeek working on this case?
AUSA: Objection!
Judge: Overruled.
Abbamondi: Yes.
Marriott: They offered to indemnify you?
Abbamondi: Yes. But I turned it down.
Marriott: You never sued Live Nation?
Live Nation's Marriott: You didn't record the whole call?
Abbamondi: I did not.
Marriott: It was only after you said Live Nation has to use best effort to get shows for Barclays that Mr. Rapino brought up the UBS arena, right?
Abbamondi: I said, co-promote
Live Nation's Marriott: Ms Patty Kim told you SeatGeek was bragging they had the Barclays contract? The text you were shown?
Abbamondi: Saying, "Apparently SeatGeek is telling others."
Marriott: Then you recorded the call.
Abbamondi: I don't know who pushed Record
They've back
Live Nation's Marriott: You told SeatGeek's D'Souza about your conversation with Mr Rapino of Live Nation, right?
Abbamondi: I'm not sure.
Marriott: Look at Tab 9, your text messages.
Abbadmondi: That you, that's helpful. March 26.
Sidebar
If like the coverage and can, support:
www.paypal.com/paypalme/mat...
venmo.com/u/Matthew-Le...
buymeacoffee.com/innercitypress
w/ extras matthewrussellleeicp.substack.com
w/ docs: patreon.com/MatthewRusse...
Books (1 coming) : www.amazon.com/author/matth...
Live Nation's Marriott: Mr. Rapino asked to get a last look
Abbamondi: I was non-responsive to that request.
Marriott: But he understood you differently.
Abbamondi: As you hear in the call. If I may explain-
Judge Subramanian: You may not
Abbamondi: There were also some negative reviews [of SeatGeek] from LAFC
AUSA Markel: Objection!
Judge Subramanian: Sustained.
Live Nation's Marriott: And the UBS arena opened. It was a threat?
Abbamondi: Some thought that.
Marriott: Let's talk about the 2 calls
Live Nation's Marriott: Didn't the Pelicans say they would never partner with SeatGeek again?
AUSA Markel: Objection!
Judge Subramanian: Sustained.
Marriott: On concerts. Didn't SeatGeek tell you AT&T Stadium didn't have a decrease in Live Nation concerts?
Yes.
Live Nation's Marriott: You thought SeatGeek had not demonstrated the ability to handle a robust schedule-
Abbamondi: No - SeatGeek had been ticketing the Dallas Cowboys, and the New Orleans Pelicans. So no.
Marriott: Look at this exhibit.
Live Nation's Marriott: Initially SeatGeek resisted providing you equity, because they were in a SPAC, right?
Abbamondi: I don't know if that's the reason. They didn't want a narrative that they could only win our business by giving us equity.
Live Nation's Marriott: You told AEG's Jay Marciano you wanted one company?
Abbamondi: Yes.
Marriott: You rejected AXS?
Abbamondi: Let me back up-
Marriott: No. You concluded AXS was too vanilla, their technology was not good?
Abbamondi: Not as good as SeatGeek
Live Nation's Marriott: You have golfed with Mr. [Russell] D'Souza, co-founder of SeatGeek, right?
Abbamondi: Once, yes.
Marriott: It's easier to have one ticketing system, right?
Abbamondi: Yes.
Marriott: And you named the plaza the SeatGeek Plaza?
Yes
Abbamondi: You are confusing the two seasons.
Live Nation's Marriott: No one at Ticketmaster ever told you the provision wouldn't be triggered by a pandemic, did they?
Abbamondi: No one said that to me.
Marriott: You had a history with SeatGeek?
Yes
Live Nation's Marriott: There was a game at Barclays with 367 fans, right?
Abbamondi: We were constrained by the government authorities.
Marriott: In May of 2021, for the playoffs, you could sell tickets normally - but that was after 14 months of limits, right?
Live Nation's Marriott: In 2020 the NBA canceled the season, leaving off nine games - and the playoff games were in a bubble in Florida, right?
Abbadmondi: Yes.
Marriott: Look at DX 103, read Extension of Term to yourself, see if it refreshes your recollection
Abbamondi: Right.
Live Nation's Marriott: Mr. Dolan is a demanding boss?
Abbamondi: Yes.
Marriott: He could have had any ticketer he wanted
AUSA Markel: Objection!
Judge: Sustained.
Marc Agnifilo: This was a tough case, it was hard to hear. Our job is to decide the case based on the evidence. Testimony is evidence. OK. How many times was the questioning, I understand you feel that way. But you said something so different. So Dr. Rocchio...
04.03.2026 17:53 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Live Nation's Marriott: You spoke about Mr. Smith, you said he said that MSG could charge more-
Abbamondi: Live Nation.
Marriott: Yes, Live Nation. You understand vertical integration, right? MSG could charge more for basketball tickets and less for beer, right?
Abbamondi: Based on Mr. Dolan's personal relationship I doubted he would switch away from Ticketmaster. So I was not comfortable recommending any change.
Live Nation's Marriott: Look at these exhibits
[We'd like to] www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...
