The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation potentially as soon as next month, according to both The Wall Street Journal and Axios.
U.S. Department of Justice Prepares Live Nation Lawsuit
According to the reports, the lawsuit alleges that Live Nation has engaged in anti-competitive practices aimed at stifling competition within the live event ticketing industry. The DOJ’s concerns centre on whether Live Nation has adhered to a consent decree established during its merger with Ticketmaster back in 2010.
The agreement included stipulations that Live Nation would not retaliate against venues that chose to use ticketing services other than Ticketmaster by restricting their access to tours promoted by Live Nation.
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The Department of Justice first opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation in early 2022 which followed a previous inquiry in 2018 where the DOJ found evidence suggesting non-compliance by Live Nation with the original consent decree.
A subsequent settlement in 2019 led to an extension of the decree until 2025 and required Live Nation to compensate the Justice Department for the costs of the investigation. Additionally, the DOJ has examined various other practices of Live Nation, including such practices as dynamic pricing, resale policies, exclusive agreements with venues mandating the use of Ticketmaster, and exclusive contracts with touring artists.
The inquiry aims to assess the extent of Ticketmaster’s control over the concert ticketing market, with reports suggesting it could command as much as 80% of the U.S. market for primary ticket sales.
In response to the allegations, a representative from Live Nation/Ticketmaster stated to The Wall Street Journal:
Ticketmaster has more competition today than it has ever had, and the deal terms with venues show it has nothing close to monopoly power.
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