Unaffected by Ticketmaster’s antitrust lawsuit, venues are watching the case closely

Local entertainment advocates did not anticipate any immediate local impact from the Justice Department lawsuit filed against Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation.

“We don’t use Ticketmaster. We are not a Live Nation place,” said Anita Wiglesworth, vice president of programs and marketing at the Luther Burbank Center.

“We present Live Nation events, and Live Nation rents our location, but we’re not a Live Nation venue, so I don’t know if this will have any ramifications for us,” she explained.

Management at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park expressed a similar reaction.

“We don’t work with Live Nation or Ticketmaster, so this doesn’t directly impact us,” said Jacob Yarrow, the center’s executive director.

Filed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan by 30 state and district attorneys general, the antitrust lawsuit seeks to dismantle a monopoly that they say crowds out smaller promoters, hurts artists and hurts tons of ticket buyers in fees.

“It is time for fans and artists to stop paying the price for Live Nation’s monopoly,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “It’s time to restore competition and innovation to the entertainment industry. It is time to part ways with Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”

Live Nation, which has denied violating antitrust laws for years, said the lawsuit “will not solve fans’ concerns about ticket prices, service fees and access to popular programming.”

The ticket seller sparked outrage in November 2022 when its website crashed during a pre-sale event for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

The company said its site had been overwhelmed both by fans and attacks by bots posing as consumers looking to get their hands on tickets and sell them on secondary sites. The debacle prompted congressional hearings and bills in state legislatures aimed at better protecting consumers.

Even if their venues are not affected, leaders in the local entertainment scene are keeping a close eye on the issue.

The lawsuit could have ramifications “probably for every venue that uses their platforms,” ​​said Michael Coats, a Sonoma promoter and former BASS Tickets press representative.

“It’s still early and I’m sure Justice and Ticketmaster will work out some changes,” he added. “I hope there will be some benefits and clarity for the consumer. I hope these additional fees and resale profits can swing to the buyer’s advantage.

Editor-in-Chief Dan Taylor can be reached at [email protected] or 707-521-5243. On X @danarts.