Attorney General Tim Griffin has announced his participation in an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. The lawsuit, filed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan coalition of 29 other attorneys general, addresses allegations of illegal monopoly practices within the live entertainment industry.
"Arkansans—whether they are concert goers, artists, or venue operators—are at the mercy of Live Nation and Ticketmaster when it comes to live entertainment," Griffin stated. "Live Nation’s monopoly dictates which artists play where, prevents venues from using other ticketing companies at the risk of losing access to artists, and milks fans with large service fees in a so-called marketplace where there is a paucity of choice. Live Nation is also in violation of Arkansas’s prohibition on monopolies and our state’s Unfair Practices Act."
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It alleges that Live Nation's practices limit competition and harm consumers by controlling which artists perform at specific venues and imposing substantial service fees.
The coalition seeks court orders to stop Live Nation's anticompetitive practices, divest its ownership of Ticketmaster, and pay civil penalties for legal violations.
Joining Griffin in this lawsuit are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming.
For more information on Attorney General Tim Griffin's background and career achievements:
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10 2023 He previously served as the state's 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023 From 2011-2015 he represented Arkansas's Second Congressional District serving on multiple House committees including Ways and Means Armed Services Foreign Affairs Ethics Judiciary while also acting as Deputy Whip for the Majority
Griffin has over 27 years of service in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps currently holding the rank of colonel He served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul Iraq among other assignments His educational credentials include a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College
Griffin has held various roles including U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Special Assistant to President George W Bush Senior Investigative Counsel Government Reform Oversight Committee U.S. House Representatives among others He holds degrees from Hendrix College Tulane Law School attended graduate school at Oxford University He lives in Little Rock with his wife Elizabeth their three children