Attorney General Aaron Ford announced he has joined with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), along with a bipartisan coalition of 30 total attorneys general, in an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. The lawsuit alleges that Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has illegally monopolized the live entertainment industry and increased the prices for live shows in Nevada and around the country.“Live Nation's business practices have directly harmed consumers and the entertainment industry by contributing to skyrocketing prices for live entertainment,” said AG Ford. “Nevada, with our reliance on the tourism sector and live entertainment, feels the effects of increasing prices in this area deeply. By joining this lawsuit, we will fight to keep our world-class experiences more affordable for both Nevadans and tourists.”
The lawsuit, filed by the DOJ and attorneys general in the Southern District of New York, asks the court to award financial compensation to the plaintiffs and fans who were overcharged by Live Nation in the plaintiffs’ jurisdictions; to prohibit Live Nation from engaging in its current anticompetitive practices; and to order Live Nation to completely divest itself from Ticketmaster.The plaintiffs argue that Live Nation increased fees and was not forthcoming about the ultimate cost for a live event at the point of sale; threatened venues with a loss of access to Live Nation-controlled tours if those venues signed with another ticket service; and used its network of venues to strongarm artists into selecting Live Nation as their promoter.
In joining the DOJ’s lawsuit, AG Ford also joins the attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, 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.
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