The Justice Department is preparing to file a federal antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, according to multiple reports.
wall street journal The newspaper first reported on Monday that the Justice Department plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation in the coming weeks, citing people familiar with the matter. Live Nation and Ticketmaster have faced widespread public scrutiny over their dominance in the ticketing industry, which critics say allows them to drive up prices for live entertainment. ing.
Ticketmaster also received national attention after it collapsed during singer Taylor Swift’s online pre-sale, leaving thousands of fans unable to purchase tickets for her 2022 “Ellas Tour.” Since then, lawmakers have dealt with Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, and whether it engaged in anticompetitive conduct.
of merger The partnership between concert promoter Live Nation and Ticketmaster was approved by the Department of Justice in 2010 after an antitrust investigation.live nation maintained Despite concerns expressed by lawmakers, there is plenty of competition in the ticket sales industry.
Live Nation declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal article when contacted by The Hill.
Dan Wall, Live Nation’s head of corporate affairs, pushed back against accusations that Ticketmaster and Live Nation were responsible for the soaring ticket prices.he I wrote it in a blog post Earlier this year, it was announced that ticket prices would be determined by the artists and their teams, with additional service fees determined by the venue.
“Fans have also been told that service fees are a way for Ticketmaster to increase ticket prices. In fact, Ticketmaster does not set service fees, venues do, and most of the money is spent by venues.” will be paid,” Wall wrote.
He noted that high ticket prices may also be due to supply and demand for live entertainment.
bloomberg The newspaper also reported on Monday that the Justice Department was preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
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