The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly close to filing a lawsuit against Live Nation, America’s biggest concert promoter and ticketing website, on the grounds that the company has broken antitrust laws.
The parent company of Ticketmaster, Live Nation is being accused of using its market-leading position to suppress its competition, the Wall Street Journal reported. It’s anticipated that the lawsuit will be filed in the coming weeks.
In 2022, Ticketmaster came under fire for its handling of Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour, when millions of people were left in the lurch as system issues plagued ticket sales. Executives were questioned by legislators in January 2023, while Swift fans filed their own case against the concert platform, though it was later dropped.
President and CFO Joe Berchtold has previously said that Ticketmaster is not responsible for setting ticket prices, the number available or service and ticketing fees. He also argued against the assertion that Live Nation’s dominance has affected fees, showing data that puts Live Nation’s control of venues at just 200 out of around 4,000.
