More States Join Antitrust Lawsuit Against Live Nation, Ticketmaster

(Gray News) – Nearly a dozen more states have joined the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

The U.S. Department of Justice has renewed its antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, and 10 more states have joined efforts to break up the company.

The amended lawsuit filed in New York on Monday added Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont.

A total of 40 states, including the District of Columbia, are participating in the lawsuit, according to Billboard magazine.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, accusing them of operating an illegal monopoly on live events in the U.S.

“It’s time for fans and artists to stop paying the price for Live Nation’s monopoly,” the Associated Press quoted Attorney General Merrick Garland as saying. “It’s time to restore competition and innovation to the entertainment industry. It’s time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”

The lawsuit alleged that Live Nation’s conduct harmed fans because they were able to attend fewer shows and have fewer choices among touring artists, pay higher ticket prices and enjoy lower quality service.

According to Billboard, Live Nation responded to the amended complaint this week with the following statement:

“There is nothing new in the amended complaint. The lawsuit still does not resolve the issues fans are concerned about regarding ticket prices, service fees and access to popular shows. We look forward to sharing more facts as the case progresses.”

In June, Live Nation said it was also investigating a data breach at its Ticketmaster subsidiary.