WA joins Ticketmaster lawsuit, demands compensation for overcharged customers

Grace Deng
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Washington is joining nearly 30 other states and the U.S. Department of Justice in a lawsuit aiming to break up Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, alleging that their practices have hurt consumers and violated antitrust laws by monopolizing the live entertainment industry. 

“Free enterprise is built on companies competing,” Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. “Instead, these industry leaders squeezed out the competition to increase their profits, at the expense of fans. My office is partnering with this bipartisan coalition to put an end to this monopoly.”

The Justice Department filed the lawsuit Thursday in a federal court in New York. Washington, along with 28 other states and the District of Columbia, signed onto the complaint.

Washington is asking the court to provide compensation for customers who paid more than they would have in a competitive marketplace. The lawsuit also calls on the court to prohibit Live Nation from engaging in its anticompetitive practices.

“​​The specifics will be determined by the court,” Ferguson’s office said in a press release. “For example, a court could determine that all illegal gains from the monopoly would be taken from the companies and distributed among affected consumers.”

Fans and artists have long complained about Ticketmaster’s practices, but the company came under heightened scrutiny in 2022 following its botched ticket rollout for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.” That led to a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the company’s role in the ticketing industry. 

States across the country also introduced legislation addressing issues related to Ticketmaster, including Washington, where lawmakers have tried and failed twice in the last two years to increase regulations around ticket-buying. 

Ticketmaster’s internal documents say the company accounts for 70% to 80% of primary concert tickets in North America, according to the state Attorney General’s office. 

Ferguson’s office noted that Live Nation manages Gorge Amphitheater in George, RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Ridgefield and White River Amphitheater in Auburn. 

The post WA joins Ticketmaster lawsuit, demands compensation for overcharged customers appeared first on Washington State Standard.