The lawsuit comes more than two years after the Justice Department began its investigation into the concert giant
His Department Justice is set to seek the dissolution of concert and ticketing giant Live Nation, a notable claim in an antitrust lawsuit the division is expected to file in New York on Thursday morning, a source familiar with the matter says. Rolling rock.
A DOJ suit has been one of the most anticipated potential legal actions in the live music industry since news of the regulators' investigation first broke in 2022. Live Nation and Ticketmaster have faced significant scrutiny from fans, rival concert companies and ticketing and regulators since The two companies merged in 2010, with critics saying the merger has made it difficult for other companies to compete in the live music space. The news was first reported by Bloomberg.
Frustration with the company — and with ticketing as a whole — has returned to the national spotlight following the infamous sellout for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, which left thousands of Swifties frustrated by technical difficulties and long lines as they tried to secure tickets. The DOJ investigation into the company began before the sale of Swift.
This isn't the first time the DOJ has targeted Live Nation. The Justice Department reached an agreement with Live Nation in 2019 to amend a consent decree the company had been bound by since its 2010 Ticketmaster merger, extending the consent decree through 2025. As part of the original merger agreement, Live Nation had to to ensure it would not retaliate against venues that do not use Ticketmaster, although the Justice Department claimed the company had violated the statute.
Live Nation has steadfastly denied the antitrust allegations, arguing that the concert and ticketing businesses are more competitive than ever. They point to artists, not Ticketmaster, who set ticket prices, and say venues typically set the widely complained-about fees that usually come with concert tickets. A representative for Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this year, Live Nation's Executive Vice President of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Dan Wall wrote an essay explaining how the company's business works, explaining some of these same points while highlighting the impact that scalpers and the resale industry have on ticket prices.
“Statements that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are 'keeping ticket prices high' are simply wrong,” Wall wrote. “Anyone with a basic understanding of the industry knows this. Those who perpetuate this lie are cynical at best. They do an injustice to consumers and rational political discourse.”
This story is developing
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doj-live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-suit-1235012538/
