Lawsuit Filed by US Justice Department Against Ticketmaster and Live Nation

The Justice Department has filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation Entertainment, alleging that they are running an illegal monopoly over live events in America. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, is being brought with 30 state and district attorneys general and seeks to break up the monopoly that is driving up prices for fans and squeezing out smaller promoters and hurting artists.

Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators.” The lawsuit accuses Live Nation of using practices such as long-term contracts to keep venues from choosing rival ticketers, blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers, and threatening venues with financial loss if they don’t choose Ticketmaster.

Live Nation responded by saying that the lawsuit “won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows.” The company also stated that most service fees go to venues and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin.

This lawsuit is part of the Biden administration’s aggressive antitrust enforcement approach targeting companies accused of engaging in illegal monopolies. Ticketmaster, which merged with Live Nation in 2010, is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. The lawsuit is seen as a step forward in making the live music industry more accessible for fans, artists, and the industry that supports them.