DOJ Ticketmaster, Live Nation Lawsuit overview:
- Who: The U.S. Department of Justice and 30 state and district attorneys filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
- Why: The lawsuit alleges Live Nation and Ticketmaster have an unfair monopoly in the live event ticket market and can charge uncompetitive prices and fees.
- Where: The Live Nation lawsuit was filed in federal court in New York.
The U.S. Department of Justice and 30 state and district attorneys filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, claiming the companies have an unfair monopoly in the live event ticket market and can charge uncompetitive prices and fees.
The lawsuit came just over a month after a report saying the DOJ lawsuit was imminent.
The lawsuit says the companies’ unlawful monopoly power reduces ticketing innovation and forces customers to use outdated technology while paying more for tickets than fans in other countries.
“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,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland says in a statement. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
Live Nation, Ticketmaster monopoly blocks competition, lawsuit claims
Live Nation and Ticketmaster use their monopoly to exclude competitors from the arena, amphitheater and live concert venue market, the lawsuit says.
The companies charge fees and collect revenue from concert fans and sponsorship, use the funding to lock up artists to exclusive promotion deals and then leverage that live content to sign venues into long-term exclusive ticketing deals, according to the DOJ lawsuit.
“Our fight against corporate wrongdoing includes an intense focus on anticompetitive conduct – which disadvantages consumers, workers and businesses of all kinds,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco says in a DOJ press release. “Today’s complaint alleges that Live Nation-Ticketmaster have engaged in anticompetitive conduct to cement their dominance of the live concert market and act as the gatekeeper for an entire industry.”
Do you believe Live Nation has unfair control on event ticket costs? Let us know in the comments.
The DOJ Ticketmaster and Live Nation lawsuit is United States of America, et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment Inc., et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-03973, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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11 thoughts onDOJ files lawsuit against Live Nation over 2010 Ticketmaster purchase
Over many years I have spent enormous $$ on Ticketbastard prices and “convenience fees”. This week, we tried to get tickets for an Auschwitz exhibit in Boston that advertised “senior rates”, but when buying the tickets there was NO option for the so-called senior rates, but plenty of other “service” and “convenience” fees. What we paid recently to see Bruce Springsteen b/c of Ticketbastard’s “dynamic pricing” platform was disgusting. Springsteen & Swifties, united- Ticketbastard IS a greedy monopoly and DOJ needs to bring them DOWN!
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This practice has grown more infuriating- and expensive- over time.
Their practices are unconscionable. When you buy a ticket, they charge outrageous fees, then if you sell the ticket, you have to pay that fee AGAIN and the person you sell it too has to pay the fee also. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to take a loss because of their greedy practices and unfortunately for where we live, they’re the only ticket vendor.
As a result of the high venue fees and ticket prices, I have decided not to attend anymore concerts. I hate missing my favorite groups. It’s not right for LiveNation/Ticketmaster to have the control over the venues and hold the artists hostage.
I agree and am also no longer attending live events. The prices for tickets are rediculous. I plan to attend events in Europe while visiting family. It’s much more affordable. It’s sad that it’s come to this.
They should not be allowed to control ticket prices. We are senior citizens and the collusion to keep raising prices have stopped us from attending performances as we used to. We have not been able to purchase tickets for the past two years and will never to be able to buy them again if something isn’t done. We used to attend at least eight per year.
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I do believe that Live Nation -Ticket Master control the price of tickets. This seems to me to be unfair.
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