Arizona joins antitrust lawsuit against ticket seller Live Nation

Jimmy Jenkins, Arizona Republic
Updated ·2 min read

Arizona has joined a coalition of states and the U.S. Department of Justice in filing an antitrust lawsuit against the nation's largest live entertainment promoter, according to Attorney General Kris Mayes.

The suit accuses Live Nation Entertainment, which owns Ticketmaster, of illegally monopolizing the live entertainment industry, resulting in higher ticket prices for consumers. In addition to the federal government and Arizona, 28 other states and Washington, D.C., are plaintiffs in the case.

"The uncompetitive live entertainment market created by Live Nation has also left artists and venues without real any choice but to use Live Nation," Mayes said in a news release. "This lack of competition hurts everyone, from fans to performers — and it's time to hold Live Nation accountable for its violations of the law."

The lawsuit alleges Live Nation has maintained its monopoly through restrictive, long-term agreements with venues, creating a network it then leverages against artists.

In this photo illustration, A Ticketmaster ticket is shown on a cellphone on November 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
In this photo illustration, A Ticketmaster ticket is shown on a cellphone on November 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks an order forcing Live Nation to divest from Ticketmaster and prohibiting the company from continuing to engage in non-competitive practices.

Live Nation called the allegations baseless.

Dan Wall, executive vice president of Live Nation, said the lawsuit attempts to portray Live Nation and Ticketmaster as "the cause of fan frustration with the live entertainment industry."

"It blames concert promoters and ticketing companies — neither of which control ticket prices — for high ticket prices," Wall said in a statement. "It ignores everything that is actually responsible for higher ticket prices, from increasing production costs to artist popularity, to 24/7 online ticket scalping that reveals the public’s willingness to pay far more than primary tickets cost."

Wall said Ticketmaster only retains a "modest" portion of the fees charged to consumers.

A Live Nation statement said the company would defend itself and use the suit to shed light on the industry.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona joins lawsuit accusing Live Nation of monopoly