Skrmetti and Department of Justice pursue federal antitrust lawsuit seeking to break up Live Nation/Ticketmaster

On Thursday, May 23, TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and the U.S. Department of Justice led a bipartisan coalition of 30 states and the District of Columbia in filing an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., the owner of Ticketmaster.

The lawsuit alleged that the company illegally monopolized the live entertainment industry.

The press release said Live Nation controls two of the most important parts of Tennessee’s live entertainment industry – ticketing and tours. It is the dominant supplier of tickets and content to concert halls in Tennessee.

Between 2019 and 2022, Tennesseans spent over $765 million on Ticketmaster tickets.

“Since Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster ticket sales debacle in 2022, my AG colleagues and I have continually sought justice for Americans who want to go to concerts without having their pockets picked by the Live Nation monopoly,” Skrmetti said. “I will continue to fight on behalf of Tennessee artists, venues and concert-goers, and I am pleased to partner with the Department of Justice in a bipartisan effort to break the Live Nation/Ticketmaster monopoly.”

In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the states and the Department of Justice allege that:

• Live Nation effectively held venues hostage through restrictive, long-term, exclusive contracts and by threatening to lose access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they signed with a competing ticket seller;

• The company uses its extensive network of amphitheaters to force artists to choose Live Nation as a promoter over its competitors, while maintaining a monopoly on promotions; AND

• Live Nation’s behavior has harmed fans in the form of higher fees, lack of transparency, fewer consumer choices and stifling innovation.

The lawsuit asks the court to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:

• Prohibiting Live Nation from engaging in anti-competitive practices that drive up absurd ticket prices for concert-goers; AND

• Ordering Live Nation to divest from Ticketmaster, undermining the company’s ability to exploit Tennesseans who want to go to concerts.

In addition to the Justice Department, Skrmetti is joined by Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, 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, as well as the District of Columbia.