Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, alongside a bipartisan coalition of nearly 30 states and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC (Live Nation-Ticketmaster). The lawsuit alleges monopolization and other unlawful conduct that stifles competition in markets across the live entertainment industry. It includes a request for structural relief aimed at restoring competition, providing better choices at lower prices for fans, and opening venue doors for working musicians and other performance artists.
In 2010, two major ticketing and entertainment companies, Ticketmaster and Live Nation, merged to form Live Nation Entertainment Inc. Since then, the organization has dominated the advertising, ticket sales, and concert production market, becoming what it describes as the “largest live entertainment company in the world.”
Live Nation, through Ticketmaster, allegedly began demanding exclusive and anticompetitive contracts with venues under threat of punitive economic action. The company is accused of leveraging its monopoly on ticket sales and amphitheaters to coerce performers into similarly restrictive promotional contracts. With significant control over tickets, venues, and even artists themselves, the company is said to have taken advantage of consumers through price hikes, obscure fees, and reduced choice.
Attorney General Paxton and coalition partners are requesting that the court enjoin Live Nation from continuing its anticompetitive practices. They seek to require Ticketmaster and Live Nation to separate and provide restitution to customers negatively affected by the alleged monopoly.
“Mega-corporations cannot control entire industries to create anti-competitive environments, drive up prices, and take advantage of consumers,” said Attorney General Paxton. “With this lawsuit, we aim to ensure fair competition for ticket sellers, concertgoers, venues, and others in the entertainment space who have been affected by this merger.”
To read the filing [click here].