By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
The Department of Justice is preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The lawsuit could reportedly come as early as next month and will target the company’s alleged monopoly in the live ticketing industry.
Live Nation drew antitrust scrutiny when it merged with Ticketmaster in 2010. But those concerns boiled over in November 2022 when a Ticketmaster crash blocked thousands of Taylor Swift fans from purchasing tickets for the Eras Tour due to “unprecedented demand.” The DOJ opened an investigation into Live Nation shortly after, The New York Times reported.
Lawmakers also levied heavy criticism against the ticketing company, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) calling Live Nation’s business practices the “definition of monopoly.” Although President Joe Biden announced last year that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have promised to get rid of hidden ticketing fees at checkout, Senator Klobuchar argued that the companies still aren’t doing enough.
“Ticketmaster has more competition today than it has ever had, and the deal terms with venues show it has nothing close to monopoly power,” a Ticketmaster spokesperson told the Journal. In 2019, the Justice Department blocked Live Nation from coercing venues into using Ticketmaster and also extended its 2010 consent decree to ensure the companies comply. Ticketmaster didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
If this lawsuit pans out, it would mark yet another landmark antitrust lawsuit in the US, in addition to the DOJ’s ongoing case against Apple.
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