US files lawsuit to try to break up Ticketmaster owner

US regulators have sued Live Nation, accusing the entertainment giant of using illegal tactics to maintain a monopoly on the live music industry.

The Justice Department's lawsuit says the company's practices kept out competitors and led to higher ticket prices and worse service for customers.

Attorney General Merrick Garland asked the courts to dissolve the company.

Live Nation said in a statement on its website that claims it wielded monopoly power were “absurd.”

He said the lawsuit “ignores everything that is actually responsible for the rise in ticket prices,” citing online ticket scalping, artist popularity and higher production costs.

With its subsidiary Ticketmaster, Live Nation organizes concerts, sells tickets and owns venues, fulfilling multiple roles that the Justice Department says have made it a “gatekeeper” to the industry.

It owns more than 250 venues in the United States and handles about 60% of concert promotions at major venues nationwide, according to the lawsuit filed by the federal Justice Department, as well as 30 states.

The company also controls about 80% of all major entertainment ticket sales through Ticketmaster, the lawsuit says.

He said the company maintained its position by using long-term exclusive deals, threatening sites that used competing ticketing companies, acquiring potential competitors, tying use of its sites to its promotional services and by deploying other practices.

Mr Garland said the result was that venues had fewer “real choices” of ticketing services and that Ticketmaster could impose “seemingly infinite” fees on fans.

He said the company had also squeezed out small promoters and limited opportunities for artists to perform.

“Live Nation controls the live entertainment industry in the United States because it breaks the law,” he said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit.

“It’s time to break up,” he added.

Live Nation said the lawsuit reflected political pressures and a White House that had handed over antitrust enforcement “to a populist impulse that simply rejects how antitrust law works.”

“Some call it anti-monopoly, but in reality it’s just anti-business,” he said.

It said its market share had declined and its 1.4% profit margin was “the opposite of monopoly power”.

The lawsuit “will not resolve the issues fans are concerned about regarding ticket prices, service fees and access to in-demand shows,” the company said.

“We will defend ourselves against these baseless allegations, take this opportunity to shine a light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists.”

Live Nation Entertainment was formed from the 2010 merger of US-based events promoter Live Nation and ticket sales and distribution company Ticketmaster.

Under the Obama administration, the United States approved the deal despite concerns it would create a giant capable of dominating the live entertainment industry.

But the company has faced years of criticism from fans, lawmakers, artists and competitors, saying it exerts too much influence over live entertainment events in the United States and the world.

In 2022, website outages experienced by many Taylor Swift fans when trying to purchase tickets for her United States tour brought attention to the problem.

John Breyault of the National Consumers League, which has been calling for action on Ticketmaster and Live Nation for years, said regulators made a “bad bet” in 2010 and that the lawsuit was long overdue.

He added that it was “impossible to know” whether breaking up the company would help reduce prices for the public.

But he said he would expect to see more choice in ticketing services and a less frustrating process for people trying to buy in-demand shows if the government wins its case in court.

“Anyone who has tried to buy tickets to see Taylor Swift can tell you that the experience is pretty terrible,” he said.

Now, he said, “consumers have nowhere to go, so there's no downside to the company. I think that will change if this lawsuit is successful,” he said .

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