Bermuda Post

Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations

DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations

The investigation predates this week's Taylor Swift concert ticket fiasco.
Live Nation Entertainment, the concert production giant and parent company of Ticketmaster, is under Justice Department antitrust scrutiny over its dominant role in the music industry that could lead to a possible break up of the company, according to two people with knowledge of the probe.

The company has endured a wave of criticism this week over the botched sale process for musician Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour. But the Swift debacle is unrelated to the DOJ investigation, which began in earnest over the summer, according to the people, who spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to comment on a confidential investigation. The probe is focused on whether and how the company uses its heft to muscle out competing ticketing services, concert promoters and other parts of the multibillion-dollar live music industry, the people said.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for Live Nation did not respond to a request for comment.

The New York Times earlier reported the DOJ investigation.

While the investigation has gained steam in recent months, Live Nation has been under federal oversight since 2010 when it merged with the ticketing giant Ticketmaster. As part of a settlement with the government allowing the deal to close, the companies agreed to sell off some ticketing assets, license ticketing software and agree to not force venues to use Ticketmaster. That settlement had an expiration date in 2020.

In late 2019 the company settled with the DOJ again, over violations of the earlier agreement. The DOJ accused the company of using its dominant position in the live music industry to force artists and venues to use both its ticketing and concert promotion services. The company is by far the largest ticketing company in the U.S., as well as one of the largest concert-promotion, artist management and venue operators. As part of the new agreement, the company agreed to extend court oversight via an independent compliance monitor through 2025.

Musicians and venues have complained for years that the company enforces anti-competitive contract terms that, for example, make it difficult for an artist being promoted by Live Nation to use a Ticketmaster competitor for ticket sales. The court-appointed monitor overseeing the company’s compliance with the settlement has been fielding a steady stream of complaints about the company’s business practices over the last several years, according to a person with knowledge of the complaints.

The company came under fire this week when its system was unable to handle the overwhelming demand for Swift concert tickets. Swift, however, is using Ticketmaster rival AEG to promote her tour.

Any legal action against Live Nation by the DOJ is not imminent, said the people with knowledge of the probe. However, if a lawsuit is ultimately filed, the department could potentially seek a break up of the company, the people said. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who heads up the DOJ’s antitrust division, has said repeatedly that he prefers to litigate rather than settle enforcement actions, and has indicated a preference for so-called structural remedies, such as separating lines of business, rather than behavioral fixes, which include promises not to engage in certain types of conduct.

The DOJ is not the only entity investigating the company. This week attorneys general in both North Carolina and Tennessee have announced probes, and multiple lawmakers including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who heads up the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, have called for hearings and investigations.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
'I just lost it' Lowe’s worker fired after 13 years of employment for confronting thieves trying to steal $2K of merchandise
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
×