Staff Reports
The Department of Justice has taken action against Live Nation and Ticketmaster after a long investigation, filing a lawsuit for antitrust violations. The company is accused of using unfair tactics to control the market for live event ticket sales. Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Live Nation exerts an 80% control over major concert ticket sales, contracts with 400 entertainers, and owns or controls 60% of amphitheaters. The government aims to break up the company to restore fairness to fans, artists, promoters, and venue operators. 30 state and district attorneys general have joined in the lawsuit, seeking to split Ticketmaster from its acquired subsidiaries.
This legal action follows Ticketmaster’s criticized management of ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s tour. The company faced backlash after the cancellation of the general ticket sale, following issues with the Verified Fan presale. Ticketmaster claimed that the high volume of fans wanting tickets led to problems with the website, including bot attacks and unregistered fans overwhelming the system.
