DOJ sues Live Nation-Ticketmaster for violating antitrust law

After a yearlong investigation, the Department of Justice announced it has filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster for breaking antitrust laws.

The event sales company stands accused of violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act, due to allegations of acquiring competing event promoters and forcing venues and artists alike into exclusionary contracts for as long as 10 years in some cases. Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed it controls 80% of ticket sales to major concert venues, has contracts with 400 entertainers, and owns or controls 60% of amphitheaters. As a result, Garland said, “It is time to break it up.”

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” Garland said at a news conference Thursday. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services.”