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The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, over allegations that the companies created an illegal monopoly over live music events in the United States.
FILE-In this photo illustration a Live Nation Entertainment logo is seen on a smartphone and a pc screen. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The agreement involves multiple states, including Washington, where Attorney General Nick Brown released a statement about the ongoing antitrust case.
What they're saying:
"In May 2024, a bipartisan group of state attorneys general joined the U.S. Department of Justice to sue Live Nation for monopolizing the market for ticketing and using its monopoly power in the concert venue market to reinforce and protect that monopoly," wrote AG Brown. "For too long, Live Nation has raked in billions from a monopoly that has made it harder for consumers to see the artists they love, stifled artists, and increased the price of tickets for countless music fans."
As part of the agreement, competing ticket platforms such as SeatGeek and StubHub will play a role in changes to the ticketing marketplace. The settlement also requires Live Nation to divest 13 amphitheaters. Additionally, the company will no longer be able to condition the use of its amphitheaters on artists or promoters using other Live Nation services. Ticketmaster must also allow venues the option of entering non-exclusive ticketing agreements.
Brown said Washington and other states remain concerned the settlement does not go far enough to address the issues raised in the lawsuit.
"The case against Live Nation is strong, and the state coalition is committed to holding the company accountable for its illegal behavior, protecting consumers, and restoring competition to this market," wrote AG Brown. "The settlement recently announced does not adequately remedy the harms to the marketplace for live music and to concertgoers caused by Live Nation. We are willing and able to stand with other partner states to continue litigating this case without the federal government so that we can hold Live Nation accountable in court and secure appropriate relief in the case."
Other states involved in the case against Live Nation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
The backstory:
Ticketmaster was founded in 1976 and later merged with Live Nation in 2010.
The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accuses Live Nation and Ticketmaster of maintaining dominance in the live entertainment industry by limiting competition and exerting control over multiple parts of the concert business, including promotion, venues and ticket sales.
The Source: Information in this article comes from a statement from Washington Attorney General Nick Brown.
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