US DOJ and state AGs sue to break up Ticketmaster parent Live Nation over alleged antitrust violations, following a DOJ probe and Taylor Swift fan complaints
Here's a Detailed Look at the 124-Page Filing Alexander Mallin / ABC News : Justice Department and 30 states seek breakup of Live Nation-Ticketmaster through major antitrust suit Business Insider : The Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco comes full circle as DOJ slams parent company with lawsuit Leah Nylen / Bloomberg : The US Antitrust Crusade: A Brief Overview of Cases Against Live Nation, Big Tech Stefanie Schappert / Cybernews.com : US gov sues Live Nation-Ticketmaster to break up market monopoly Nicole Narea / Vox : The Biden administration is actually doing something about ludicrously expensive concert tickets Joel Khalili / Wired : US Sues to Break Up Ticketmaster and Live Nation, Alleging Monopoly Abuse Institute for Local Self-Reliance : Statement on DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Against Live Nation Sara Fischer / Axios : Live Nation hit with antitrust suit from Justice Department, states Josh Sisco / Politico : DOJ and states sue Live Nation, could seek breakup of company Deadline : Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Seeking To Break Up Live Nation-Ticketmaster; “Baseless” PR Stunt, Company Responds - Update William Gavin / Quartz : The feds sue to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster after a Taylor Swift ticket uproar Shivani Kumaresan / Benzinga : Why Ticketmaster Owner Live Nation's Shares Are Tumbling Today? Washington Post : DOJ to announce antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation as soon as Thursday Josh Lamb / Proactive : Ticketmaster owner dips as DOJ antitrust lawsuit looms - reports Stuart Dredge / Music Ally : Reports suggest DoJ's Live Nation lawsuit will come today Evan Perez / CNN : Justice Department expected to file antitrust suit against Live Nation, owner of Ticketmaster New York Times : U.S. Plans to Sue Ticketmaster Owner, Accusing It of Defending a Monopoly Financial Times : US says it is ‘time to break up’ Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Ashleigh Jackson / KRQE-TV : DOJ expected to file antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster owner Live Nation: reports Ashley King / Digital Music News : U.S. Department of Justice Expected to File Lawsuit Against Live Nation and Ticketmaster This Week — Here's the Latest Elizabeth Lopatto / The Verge : Live Nation is facing a DOJ antitrust lawsuit, WaPo reports. Sara Fischer / Axios : U.S. government plans to sue Ticketmaster parent Live Nation for antitrust Mastodon: Avi Rappoport / @avirr@sfba.social : @Techmeme Ticketmaster is a textbook monopoly! Bluesky: Patrick Dot Biz / @patrickmcmahon.bsky.social : swiftie antitrust coalition [embedded post] @jmgreene28.bsky.social : Thanks Joe Biden [embedded post] Revan / @docrevan.xyz : Did not have Taylor Swift inadvertently killing Ticketmaster on my bingo card [embedded post] X: Elizabeth Warren / @senwarren : NOW: @TheJusticeDept stood up for you & sued Ticketmaster for out-of-control price gouging. Ever buy a ticket & been hit with ridiculous fees? That's what happens when one company has too much power. It's time to break up Ticketmaster & Live Nation. Mike Lee / @senmikelee : Good news. For years, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have wielded monopoly power, harming fans & artists. Obama's DOJ failed to challenge the merger in 2010. As I argued in our hearing last year, they should have tackled this years ago. Today, finally, DOJ is filing a lawsuit. [video] Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : How it started vs. How it's going [image] Attorney General Matt Platkin / @newjerseyoag : (Mic check) @LiveNation wanna be rich, @Ticketmaster wanna be king. But @NewJerseyOAG ain't satisfied, 'til we fix everything. Today, we're standing up for music fans and artists, seeking an end to absurd ticket fees and unfair monopolies. http://www.njoag.gov/... [image] Stacy Mitchell / @stacyfmitchell : “By ending these monopoly abuses, the DOJ will open the door to rival ticketing services that respect artists and independent venues and deliver a better experience for fans.” Read @ronmknox's statement on the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation ⬇️ https://ilsr.org/... Andrew Visnovsky / @andrewvisnovsky : The Ticketmaster fees are the headliner here, but the way Live Nation/Ticketmaster leverage their market position to kill independent concert venues and promoters is IMO much, much worse. Pallavi Guniganti / @pgunigantiat : Wow — in contrast with the reporting yesterday, the DOJ's #antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation & Ticketmaster actually goes WAY beyond the companies' 2010 merger, alleging that conduct occurring entirely w/in TM or entirely w/in LN is anticompetitive. https://www.justice.gov/... Matt Stoller / @matthewstoller : From the DOJ complaint: “Ticketmaster Tax” “Whatever the name of the fee and however the fees are packaged and collected, they are essentially a “Ticketmaster Tax” that ultimately raise the price fans pay.” Andrea Joy Campbell / @massago : Live Nation has exploited its position in the music industry to grow and maintain a monopoly. That's meant higher prices and fewer choices for consumers - and harm for artists and venues in the process. So we're suing. [image] Attorney General Bob Ferguson / @agowa : It's time to end the “Ticketmaster tax.” We're partnering with @TheJusticeDepartment and 29 other attorneys general to seek the breakup of Ticketmaster and Live Nation's illegal monopoly. More here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/... [image] Matt Stoller / @matthewstoller : Amazing story of how Live Nation used its acquisitions of venues to maintain its ticketing service monopoly. [image] @econliberties : We've been urging government to stop the obvious abuses of this cartoonishly-villainous monopoly since 2022—mobilizing 100,000+ Americans through our #BreakUpTicketmaster coalition. “Today, AAG Kanter and @JusticeATR answered those calls,” says @mh4oh. https://www.economicliberties.us/ ... [image] @ohioag : AG Yost is suing Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and Ticketmaster citing illegal monopolistic practices that have stifled competition and harmed consumers and businesses across the live entertainment industry. Details: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/ ... [image] Trung Phan / @trungtphan : The DOJ is suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster over concert ticket pricing. My only take: charging “service fee per ticket” is dumb. Marginal cost of 1x ticket or 50x ticket can't be that different. Lawsuit says price gouging is part of a monopolistic “flywheel”: ➡️The [image] Jeremiah Johnson / @jeremiahdjohns : I am not Lina Khan's biggest fan but this is a very good move. LiveNation/TicketMaster is one of the most incredibly obvious and abusive monopolies in the country. https://www.reuters.com/... Robert Reich / @rbreich : Amazon squeezed sellers and jacked up prices. Apple used its power to kill off challengers. Ticketmaster/Live Nation leveraged its dominance to jack up ticket costs and tack on massive fees. Each company is facing an antitrust lawsuit from the Biden admin. This is a big deal. Robert Reich / @rbreich : Live Nation/Ticketmaster is a monopoly, which is why it can get away with providing awful service, charging exorbitant prices, and tacking on fees as high as 75% of the ticket price. The DoJ will announce an antitrust lawsuit against the company this week. This is a big deal. @thejusticedept : Justice Department Sues Live Nation-Ticketmaster for Monopolizing Markets Across the Live Concert Industry Live Nation-Ticketmaster's Exclusionary Conduct and Dominance Across the Live Concert Ecosystem Harms Fans, Innovation, Artists, and Venues 🔗: https://www.justice.gov/... [image] Adam Parkhomenko / @adamparkhomenko : Merrick Garland: “We allege that Live Nation has illegally monopolized markets across the live concert industry in the United States for far too long. It is time to break it up.” [video] @moreperfectus : Attorney General Merrick Garland: “It is time for fans and artists to stop paying the price for Live Nation's monopoly. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.” [video] Rakesh Agrawal / @rakeshlobster : This is an antitrust suit we can all get behind. Antitrust hasn't paid nearly enough attention to vertical integration. One company owns ticketing, venues and promotion. https://www.axios.com/... LinkedIn: Lauren Feiner : The DOJ is suing Ticketmaster and its owner Live Nation for allegedly driving up event fees by maintaining an illegal monopoly. … Morgan Harper : Today, the Department of Justice sued to break up LiveNation/Ticketmaster for anti-competitive conduct that is taking money from fans, artists, and independent businesses. … Forums: r/moderatepolitics : Justice Department sues to break up Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster r/Destiny : NEWS- NYTimes l U.S. Calls for Breakup of Ticketmaster Owner r/indieheads : Live Nation Responds to DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit r/U2Band : Justice department sues live nation/ticketmaster r/Music : U.S. Calls for Breakup of Ticketmaster Owner r/phish : U.S. DOJ Calls for Breakup of Ticketmaster Owner r/Music : The US sues Ticketmaster for driving up live event fees r/hiphopheads : Justice Department sues to break up Live Nation, parent of Ticketmaster r/law : US Justice Department to Seek Breakup of Live Nation-Ticketmaster r/neutralnews : US Justice Department to Seek Breakup of Live Nation-Ticketmaster See also Mediagazer