Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, sued in groundbreaking monopoly lawsuit
MAYOR YEAH, YEAH. AND MARIA, THIS CERTAINLY ISN’T THE FIRST LAWSUIT AGAINST TICKETMASTER, BUT THIS ONE COULD LEAD TO HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUAL LAWSUITS AGAINST THE TICKET GIANT WHEN TAYLOR SWIFT PLAYS GILLETTE THIS WEEK, SELF PROCLAIMED SUPERFANS JESSICA KRISEMAN AND SISTER NICOLE WON’T BE THERE DESPITE THE MANY TIMES THEY’VE PAID TO SEE SWIFT IN THE PAST. EVEN MATT TAYLOR’S MOM, WE REGISTERED FOR THE PRESALE. I WAS CONFIRMED AS A VERIFIED FAN AND THEN THE DAY BEFORE THE PRESALE I WAS TOLD I WAS NOT GOING TO GET A CODE AT ALL. JESSICA IS ONE OF MORE THAN 350 FANS NOW SUING TICKETMASTER AND PARENT COMPANY LIVE NATION AND THIS IS NOT A CLASS ACTION SUIT. IT’S A FIGHT TO LET EACH INDIVIDUAL PLAINTIFF TAKE THE TICKET GIANT TO A JURY TRIAL TO GET RELIEF AND ANSWERS. FOR ME, IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GET BRING AWARENESS TO THIS SO THAT IN THE FUTURE, LIKE THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN TO LIKE ARTISTS AND THEIR FANS. A DALLAS BASED FIRM HAS FILED THE LAWSUIT IN THE CALIFORNIA COURTS. IT ACCUSES TICKETMASTER AND LIVE NATION OF BUSINESS PRACTICES THAT VIOLATE ANTITRUST LAWS AND FRAUDULENTLY INFLATE TICKET PRICES. EVERY TIME YOU WENT TO CLICK ON A TICKET, YOU SAW IT WAS GONE. SKY LANDAU HAS BEEN LISTENING TO TAYLOR SWIFT SINCE SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL. NOW AT UMASS AMHERST, SHE AND HER FRIENDS SAVED UP AND TRIED TO BUY TICKETS, BUT ALSO GOT SHUT OUT, SHE SAYS. TICKETMASTER HAS A STRANGLEHOLD ON TICKET SALES AND IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT. WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM THIS LAWSUIT IS, YOU KNOW, TICKETMASTER IS NO LONGER ALLOWED TO SORT OF HAVE THIS CONTROL NOW WE DID REACH OUT TO TICKETMASTER. WE HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK. BOTH SKY AND JESSICA ARE HOLDING OUT HOPE TO GET TICKETS, BUT THEY ADMIT THAT’S UNLIKELY BECAUSE SECONDARY SITES THAT ARE SELLING TICKETS NOW ARE GOING FOR THOUSANDS
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Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, sued in groundbreaking monopoly lawsuit
The U.S. government and dozens of states sued Live Nation in a groundbreaking antitrust lawsuit on Thursday, alleging that for years the parent company of Ticketmaster abused its industry dominance to harm concertgoers nationwide.The long-expected lawsuit, filed in New York by the Justice Department and 30 state and district attorneys general, challenges the country’s biggest ticketing website and concert promoter, which regulators allege was the mastermind of a plan to stifle competition. The governments are seeking a jury trial and a breakup of the company.If successful, the case could lead to sweeping changes in the market for live events – an industry that came under intense scrutiny in 2022 after glitches at Ticketmaster blocked millions from purchasing tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales — amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.Prosecutors allege that Live Nation’s end game was to monopolize the ticketing and live events industry by cutting exclusive deals with the country’s largest venues, ensuring that all their future events were ticketed through the company’s platform.This is a developing story. It will be updated.
WASHINGTON —
The U.S. government and dozens of states sued Live Nation in a groundbreaking antitrust lawsuit on Thursday, alleging that for years the parent company of Ticketmaster abused its industry dominance to harm concertgoers nationwide.
The long-expected lawsuit, filed in New York by the Justice Department and 30 state and district attorneys general, challenges the country’s biggest ticketing website and concert promoter, which regulators allege was the mastermind of a plan to stifle competition. The governments are seeking a jury trial and a breakup of the company.
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If successful, the case could lead to sweeping changes in the market for live events – an industry that came under intense scrutiny in 2022 after glitches at Ticketmaster blocked millions from purchasing tickets for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour.
For many critics of Live Nation, the Swift debacle revealed how a lack of competition has led to harms ranging from poor customer service to confusing pricing to expensive ticketing fees to restrictions on ticket resales — amounting to what many consumers complain of as death by a thousand cuts.
Prosecutors allege that Live Nation’s end game was to monopolize the ticketing and live events industry by cutting exclusive deals with the country’s largest venues, ensuring that all their future events were ticketed through the company’s platform.
Ticketmaster apologizes to Taylor Swift and her fans for ticketing debacle
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
