Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster’s Parent Company, Live Nation, Following Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco
The Department of Justice has initiated an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment.
The suit also intends to break up the company, which has been charged with dominating the market unlawfully.
Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster back in 2010.
Ticketmaster controls 80% or more of the primary ticketing for concerts at big venues.
DOJ Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Live Nation
The antitrust lawsuit was launched by the DOJ on Thursday by 30 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
It has been a year since Ticketmaster crashed, leading to Taylor Swift fans being unable to purchase tickets to her concert tour.
This led to the DOJ instituting an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference on Thursday,
“We are not here today because Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s conduct is inconvenient or frustrating. We are here because, as we allege, that conduct is anti-competitive and illegal. It is time to break it up.”
The Justice Department, in its lawsuit, has accused Live Nation and Ticketmaster of exploiting their influence and power and dominating every aspect of the live music ecosystem.
It further alleged that the company stifled innovation and exerted control over how fans could buy tickets and where artists could perform.
The lawsuit was instituted after Ticketmaster slipped into a pre-sale event in late 2022, which was part of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and fans were made to compete with bots for a finite number of tickets.
Swift said following the release,
“Amazingly, 2.4 million people got tickets, but it pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them.”
On its part, Live Nation said that terming Ticketmaster a monopoly could be a PR drive by the DOJ but ultimately it is going to lose the case.
The company said in a statement,
“The DOJ’s lawsuit won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows.” “Our growth comes from helping artists tour globally, creating lasting memories for millions of fans, and supporting local economies across the country by sustaining quality jobs.”
The latest lawsuit filed by the DOJ is one more instance of the no-nonsense approach by the Biden Administration antitrust enforcers. The Administration seeks to create more competition in a wide range of industries, from ‘big tech’ to healthcare and groceries.
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