Live Nation, Ticketmaster Face Class Suit Over Ticket Prices

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New York ticket buyers filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation on Thursday, alleging that consumers are forced to pay high prices because the company used its market power to charge “too high fees.” on the same day, the US government sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation over similar antitrust issues.

A New York ticket buyer filed a class-action lawsuit with the Department of Justice on Thursday … (+) and several states sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

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Abraham Leifer, a plaintiff in the case, maintains that Live Nation’s monopoly, in place since its purchase of Ticketmaster in 2010, affects all ticket consumers at major concert venues.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of all consumers who purchased tickets on resale sites after they were originally sold on Ticketmaster, arguing that Live Nation’s alleged monopoly power caused prices to increase in the “secondary” ticket sales market by limiting competition among resale outlets and passing on high fees .

The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan on the same day that the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, accusing the company and its subsidiaries of using a series of tactics to “eliminate competition and monopolize markets.”

Forbes has reached out to Live Nation for comment.

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