More States Join Ticketmaster Antitrust Lawsuit

There’s more trouble brewing for Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, as ten additional states have decided to hop on the antitrust lawsuit bandwagon, originally launched by the Department of Justice back in May.

This lawsuit accuses Ticketmaster of acting like a monopoly and driving up concert ticket prices, following a major backlash from fans, especially those of Taylor Swift, who faced major hurdles while trying to snag tickets for her Eras tour.

On August 19, the attorneys general from states like Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas joined in, supporting the DOJ’s amended complaint, which includes even more allegations against these live entertainment giants.

The goal of the DOJ is clear: they want to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster and bring back some competition in the concert industry. Along with this, states are now seeking treble damages, claiming that fans have been overcharged. This means they can ask for three times the money they believe they are owed under federal anti-monopoly laws.

New York Attorney General Letitia James emphasized the need for a shift away from big corporations that benefit from exploiting fans, venues, and artists.

The complaint highlights that Live Nation controls over 265 concert venues in North America and that through Ticketmaster, they manage to grab around 80% of major event ticket sales.

Internally, Live Nation reportedly indicated that Ticketmaster is a primary ticketer for 80% of U.S. arenas hosting NBA and NHL games, leaving competitors with a mere 14% at best.

The DOJ is also calling out Ticketmaster’s use of its non-transferable digital tickets, stating that one of Live Nation’s motives for using this system was to block consumers from buying or selling tickets on rival platforms.

The complaint asserts that Live Nation’s anti-competitive behavior not only burdened fans with extra fees but also stifled innovation, reducing the overall quality and variety of services available to concert-goers.

In response to the amended complaint, a spokesperson for Live Nation stated that the legal action will not truly address key issues like high ticket prices and additional fees, adding that they are eager to present further facts as the case unfolds.