The US Department of Justice, accompanied by 29 states and the District of Columbia, is suing Live Nation, owner of Ticketmaster, over allegations of a ticket sales monopoly. According to the DOJ, Live Nation controls 80% of primary ticketing at significant concert venues in the United States and owns or controls over 250 venues. The federal government is seeking a break-up of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster operation over allegations that it actively suppresses competition through its monopoly. The lawsuit filed on June 21 also accuses Ticketmaster of underhanded dealings with Swift’s Eras tour ticket sales in 2022.
US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry while adversely affecting fans, artists, independent promoters, and ticket sellers. The DOJ has accused Live Nation of steering clients toward exclusivity agreements with Ticketmaster, threatening venues with losing access to tours or other benefits unless they sign such clauses, acquiring start-ups to enhance its position, and threatening competition. Garland stated, “The Justice Department filed this lawsuit on behalf of fans who should be able to go to concerts without a monopoly standing in their way. We have filed this lawsuit on behalf of artists who should be able to plan their tours around their fans and not be dictated by an unlawful monopolist.”
The DOJ’s Antitrust Division’s assistant attorney general, Jonathan Kanter, stated that the lawsuit seeks to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly and restore healthy competition for the benefit of fans and artists. However, Live Nation’s executive vice president, Dan Wall, rejected the allegations as silly, adding that the current administration is simply anti-business, which is untrue.
The Fan Fairness Coalition (FFC), a bipartisan lobby, has backed the lawsuit. FFC President and Republican antitrust expert Mark Meador and FFC Secretary and Democratic antitrust expert Amanda Lewis stated, “This lawsuit is a response to the tens of thousands of live event fans who […] called on federal officials to break up this platform that has dominated ticketing for far too long and prevented competition from driving the industry forward.” They believe that the DOJ’s lawsuit will ensure fair competition, more access, and better service for fans and artists
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