NASHVILLE – Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, along with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), has spearheaded a bipartisan coalition comprising 30 states and the District of Columbia in filing an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ticketmaster. The lawsuit alleges that Live Nation has illegally monopolized the live entertainment industry.
Live Nation is a major player in Tennessee’s live entertainment sector, dominating both ticketing and touring. From 2019 to 2022, Tennesseans spent over $765 million on Ticketmaster tickets.
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“Since Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift ticketing debacle in 2022, my AG colleagues and I have relentlessly sought justice for Americans wanting to attend concerts without having their pocketbooks pillaged by Live Nation’s monopoly,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. “I will continue to fight on behalf of the artists, venues, and concertgoers in Tennessee, and I am glad to partner with the DOJ in the bipartisan effort to break up the Live Nation/Ticketmaster monopoly.”
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges several points:
– Live Nation forces venues into restrictive long-term, exclusive agreements, threatening them with the loss of access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they sign with a rival ticketer.
– The company uses its extensive network of amphitheaters to compel artists to choose Live Nation as their promoter, thereby maintaining its promotional monopoly.
– Live Nation’s actions have resulted in higher fees, less transparency, fewer consumer choices, and stifled innovation.
The lawsuit seeks to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:
– Prohibiting Live Nation from engaging in anticompetitive practices that inflate ticket prices.
– Requiring Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster, thereby breaking up its monopoly.
In addition to the DOJ, the lawsuit has the support of Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and the states of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The complaint can be read here.
Source: Read Original Release
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