Ticketmaster Is Getting Sued By The Department Of Justice And It’s About Time

The investigation into Ticketmaster’s parent company was ignited by accusations that the entertainment conglomerate monopolized the industry and boxed out competitors, leaving consumers with little to no choice on where to purchase tickets to live events.

The company allegedly leverages its extensive reach as a concert promoter, ticket seller, and venue owner to stifle competition, limit consumer choice, and drive up prices.

The anticipated lawsuit is expected to claim that Live Nation’s and Ticketmaster’s dominant position in the entertainment industry has resulted in anti-competitive practices, adversely affecting rivals and consumers.

The DOJ’s case will be filed in a New York federal court, supported by numerous state attorneys general. 

While consumers have been complaining about Ticketmaster’s policies for years, the issue became general knowledge only after chaos ensued following the release of tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2022. The event caused a public outcry, which finally resulted in this lawsuit.

When President Biden entered office in 2021, he entered with a promise to aggressively execute the antitrust laws of the United States. The case against Ticketmaster marks a significant moment for the President to fulfill this promise. 

And while the Ticketmaster suit is one of Biden’s biggest cases, it’s hardly the President’s first rodeo.

Biden’s administration has been proactive in addressing monopolistic behaviors, targeting major tech companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Google with similar antitrust charges.

Additionally, the administration has challenged various mergers, notably the proposed union of grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons.

Speaking on the importance of enforcing antitrust laws in cases like this with Ticketmaster, Jonathan Kanter, the DOJ’s top antitrust official, emphasized the public’s growing demand to hold government officials accountable for their jobs.

He articulated that the current momentum in addressing monopolistic practices is driven not just by regulators but by a widespread public outcry against corporate consolidation and its economic impacts.

While the U.S. government claims to be on top of these practices now, this hasn’t always been the case. Live Nation’s current predicament traces back to its merger with Ticketmaster in 2010, which received conditional approval from the government.

Thanks to the government’s blessing, Live Nation has become a powerful entity now dominating various facets of the entertainment industry, from concert promotion to ticket sales.

The original approval of the merger came with stipulations aimed at curbing anti-competitive practices.

Specifically, Live Nation was prohibited from retaliating against venues that opted out of using Ticketmaster. However, the company was later found to have violated these conditions multiple times. 

The forthcoming lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster is expected to be a landmark case in the realm of antitrust enforcement. If successful, it could lead to significant changes in how the entertainment industry operates, potentially breaking up the conglomerate’s hold on the market and introducing more competition.

Source: Washington Post