Pennsylvania Joins DOJ, 29 Other States in Antitrust Suit vs. Live Nation
Alleges that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise monopolistic control over live events industry
May 23, 2024
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Alleges that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise monopolistic control over live events industry
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Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is leading a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, along with the U.S. Department of Justice, in an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster, LLC.
The complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Live Nation-Ticketmaster unlawfully exercises its monopoly power in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. As a result of its conduct, music fans in Pennsylvania and across the United States are deprived of ticketing innovation and forced to use outdated technology while paying more for tickets than fans in other countries. At the same time, Live Nation-Ticketmaster exercises its power over performers, venues, and independent promoters in ways that harm competition. Live Nation-Ticketmaster also imposes barriers to competition that limit the entry and expansion of its rivals.
“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominance has impacted fans across the Commonwealth. In 2022, Pennsylvanians spent approximately $1.5 billion dollars on live entertainment, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“Live Nation and Ticketmaster have long had a chokehold on much of the live entertainment industry,” Henry said. “Consumers who want to see one of their favorite bands, artists, or shows, are likely to encounter Live Nation and Ticketmaster at the gates. Pennsylvanians deserve to have fair and competitive choices when it comes to tickets to live entertainment.”
The lawsuit alleges that:
The lawsuit asks the court to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:
“The live music industry in America is broken because Live Nation-Ticketmaster has an illegal monopoly,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Our antitrust lawsuit seeks to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly and restore competition for the benefit of fans and artists.”
“We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists,” Live Nation said in a statement.
“Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin,” the company added.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Pennsylvania is represented by First Deputy Attorney General James Donahue, Executive Deputy Attorney General Mark Pacella, Chief Deputy Attorney General Tracy Wertz, Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Joseph Betsko, and Senior Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Thomson.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is leading a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, along with the U.S. Department of Justice, in an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster, LLC.
The complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Live Nation-Ticketmaster unlawfully exercises its monopoly power in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. As a result of its conduct, music fans in Pennsylvania and across the United States are deprived of ticketing innovation and forced to use outdated technology while paying more for tickets than fans in other countries. At the same time, Live Nation-Ticketmaster exercises its power over performers, venues, and independent promoters in ways that harm competition. Live Nation-Ticketmaster also imposes barriers to competition that limit the entry and expansion of its rivals.
“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominance has impacted fans across the Commonwealth. In 2022, Pennsylvanians spent approximately $1.5 billion dollars on live entertainment, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“Live Nation and Ticketmaster have long had a chokehold on much of the live entertainment industry,” Henry said. “Consumers who want to see one of their favorite bands, artists, or shows, are likely to encounter Live Nation and Ticketmaster at the gates. Pennsylvanians deserve to have fair and competitive choices when it comes to tickets to live entertainment.”
The lawsuit alleges that:
The lawsuit asks the court to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:
“The live music industry in America is broken because Live Nation-Ticketmaster has an illegal monopoly,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Our antitrust lawsuit seeks to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly and restore competition for the benefit of fans and artists.”
“We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists,” Live Nation said in a statement.
“Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin,” the company added.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Pennsylvania is represented by First Deputy Attorney General James Donahue, Executive Deputy Attorney General Mark Pacella, Chief Deputy Attorney General Tracy Wertz, Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Joseph Betsko, and Senior Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Thomson.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is leading a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, along with the U.S. Department of Justice, in an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster, LLC.
The complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Live Nation-Ticketmaster unlawfully exercises its monopoly power in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. As a result of its conduct, music fans in Pennsylvania and across the United States are deprived of ticketing innovation and forced to use outdated technology while paying more for tickets than fans in other countries. At the same time, Live Nation-Ticketmaster exercises its power over performers, venues, and independent promoters in ways that harm competition. Live Nation-Ticketmaster also imposes barriers to competition that limit the entry and expansion of its rivals.
“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominance has impacted fans across the Commonwealth. In 2022, Pennsylvanians spent approximately $1.5 billion dollars on live entertainment, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“Live Nation and Ticketmaster have long had a chokehold on much of the live entertainment industry,” Henry said. “Consumers who want to see one of their favorite bands, artists, or shows, are likely to encounter Live Nation and Ticketmaster at the gates. Pennsylvanians deserve to have fair and competitive choices when it comes to tickets to live entertainment.”
The lawsuit alleges that:
The lawsuit asks the court to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:
“The live music industry in America is broken because Live Nation-Ticketmaster has an illegal monopoly,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Our antitrust lawsuit seeks to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly and restore competition for the benefit of fans and artists.”
“We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists,” Live Nation said in a statement.
“Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin,” the company added.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Pennsylvania is represented by First Deputy Attorney General James Donahue, Executive Deputy Attorney General Mark Pacella, Chief Deputy Attorney General Tracy Wertz, Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Joseph Betsko, and Senior Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Thomson.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is leading a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, along with the U.S. Department of Justice, in an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster, LLC.
The complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Live Nation-Ticketmaster unlawfully exercises its monopoly power in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. As a result of its conduct, music fans in Pennsylvania and across the United States are deprived of ticketing innovation and forced to use outdated technology while paying more for tickets than fans in other countries. At the same time, Live Nation-Ticketmaster exercises its power over performers, venues, and independent promoters in ways that harm competition. Live Nation-Ticketmaster also imposes barriers to competition that limit the entry and expansion of its rivals.
“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominance has impacted fans across the Commonwealth. In 2022, Pennsylvanians spent approximately $1.5 billion dollars on live entertainment, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“Live Nation and Ticketmaster have long had a chokehold on much of the live entertainment industry,” Henry said. “Consumers who want to see one of their favorite bands, artists, or shows, are likely to encounter Live Nation and Ticketmaster at the gates. Pennsylvanians deserve to have fair and competitive choices when it comes to tickets to live entertainment.”
The lawsuit alleges that:
The lawsuit asks the court to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:
“The live music industry in America is broken because Live Nation-Ticketmaster has an illegal monopoly,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Our antitrust lawsuit seeks to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly and restore competition for the benefit of fans and artists.”
“We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists,” Live Nation said in a statement.
“Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin,” the company added.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Pennsylvania is represented by First Deputy Attorney General James Donahue, Executive Deputy Attorney General Mark Pacella, Chief Deputy Attorney General Tracy Wertz, Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Joseph Betsko, and Senior Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Thomson.
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