Federal antitrust lawsuit alleges Ticketmaster and Live Nation monopoly

DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS OF THE TICKETMASTER. NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS FILE AN ANTIMONOLY LAWSUIT TO END WHAT IT CALLS MONOPOLY. IT’S TIME TO SOLVE THIS. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SAYS THAT LIVE NATION CONTROLS 80% OF TICKETS IN THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCERT HALLS. OVER 60% OF CONCERT PROMOTIONS OWN OR CONTROL OVER 60% OF LARGE AMPHITHEATS AND MANAGE OVER 400 ARTISTS. LIVE NATION SUPPRESSES ITS COMPETITION BY USING A VARIETY OF TACTICS, FROM TAKING OVER SMALLER REGIONAL PROMOTERS AND SITES TO THREATS AND RETALIATION. TICKETMASTER SAYS Justice Department lawsuit won’t solve the problems fans care about about ticket prices, service fees and access to popular shows, calling a ticketmaster into a monopoly may be a PR victory for the Justice Department in the short term, but it will lose the COURT, BECAUSE IT IGNORE THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE ECONOMICS OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. FANS SAY THEY ONLY WANT GOOD SERVICE, LOWER PRICES AND LOWER FEES. I WAITED IN THE VIRTUAL LINE FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, AND EVEN AFTER I GAINED ACCESS AND SHOWED EARLY, THE WEBSITE WAS CRASHED AND I JUST LOSED MY PLACE IN THE QUEUE. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE COMPANY THAT IS IN CONTROL. THEN THERE IS NO POWER TO BE BETTER. MASSACHUSETT ATTORNEY GENERAL ANDREA CAMPBELL. HE SAYS THAT IT IS ACTUALLY A MONOPOLY AND THAT A LIVING NATION IS USING ITS POWER. NOW LIVE NATION OWNS OR CONTROLS hundreds of properties across the country, including right here in Massachusetts, the House of Blues in Boston

The conduct of Ticketmaster owner Live Nation Entertainment has illegally resulted in higher fees for consumers, less choice and less innovation in the live entertainment industry, according to a federal lawsuit filed in New York by 29 attorneys general, including Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts. “Today’s lawsuit alleges that Live Nation’s anticompetitive conduct not only violates the law, but also stifles innovation, including by forcing venues to exclusively use Ticketmaster or to strategically acquire venues to eliminate competition,” Campbell said in a statement. “Live Nation is an extremely powerful company in the live entertainment industry and has chosen to use that power to expand and maintain its monopoly, ultimately raising prices for consumers and harming artists and venues in the process.” In response to the lawsuit, Live Nation called it “absurd to claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster exercise monopoly power.” “The Department of Justice and a group of attorneys general have now filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster,” Live Nation said. This followed intense political pressure on the Justice Department to file the lawsuit and a long-running lobbying campaign by rivals and ticket brokers seeking government protection. “Live Nation owns or controls more than 265 concert halls in North America, including House of Blues Boston, MGM Music Hall Fenway, Leader Bank Pavilion and Xfinity Center in Massachusetts, according to Campbell’s office, manages more than 400 musical artists and controls through Ticketmaster approximately 80 percent of headline concert tickets at major concert halls. The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief, including an injunction enjoining the company from further engaging in anti-competitive practices and enjoining Live Nation from fully divesting Ticketmaster. Live Nation claims the lawsuit “ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from rising production costs to artists’ popularity to 24/7 Internet ticket scalping that reveals the public’s willingness to pay far more than the cost of tickets.” primordial.”

BOSTON –

“Our lawsuit today alleges that Live Nation’s anticompetitive conduct not only violates the law, but also stifles innovation, including by forcing venues to exclusively use Ticketmaster or to strategically acquire venues to eliminate competition,” Campbell said in a statement. “Live Nation is an extremely powerful company in the live entertainment industry and has chosen to use that power to expand and maintain its monopoly, ultimately increasing prices for consumers and harming artists and venues in the process.”

In response to the lawsuit, Live Nation called it “absurd to claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster exercise monopoly power.”

“The Department of Justice and a group of attorneys general have now filed a long-awaited antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster,” Live Nation said. “This followed intense political pressure on the Department of Justice to file the lawsuit and a long-term lobbying campaign by rivals and ticket brokers seeking government protection.”

Live Nation owns or controls more than 265 concert venues in North America, including House of Blues Boston, MGM Music Hall Fenway, Leader Bank Pavilion and Xfinity Center in Massachusetts, according to Campbell’s office, manages more than 400 musical artists and, through its control of Ticketmaster, approximately 80 percentage of main concert tickets in main concert halls.

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction that includes prohibiting the company from further engaging in anti-competitive practices and enjoining Live Nation from completely divesting Ticketmaster.

Live Nation claims the lawsuit “ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from rising production costs to artists’ popularity to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals audiences’ willingness to pay far more than the original cost of tickets.” .