The Department of Justice The United States filed a complaint against the company Live Nationwhich owns the Ticketmaster ticket purchasing portal, due to monopolistic practices that have led to the increase in ticket prices for consumers.
In a press conference, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that 'exhorbitant rates and technological failures' from the Ticketmaster company are 'anti-competitive and legalin addition to criticism from fans and artists.
“Live Nation has illegally monopolized the live concert industry markets in the United States for too long and it is time to break it,” the prosecutor said.
Garland also considered that the company 'blocks competition and ticket sales through the use of exclusive contracts' that can last more than a decade and with the acquisition of its own places.
Besides, accused Ticketmaster of imposing an 'endless' list of fees on the buyer. Such as: Ticketing fees, service fees, convenience fees, Platinum fees, master order pricing fees, handling fees, payment processing fees, among others.
According to the data shown by prosecutor Garland, the company Live Nation controls at least 80 percent of ticket sales in the main concert halls. It also directly manages more than 400 artists, controls 60 percent of concert promotions nationwide, and has access to more than 60 percent of America's major amphitheaters.
This situationAdd, results in 'fans being willing to pay more money' and 'artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts'. While smaller promoters are left out and venues have fewer real options for ticketing services.
The lawsuit was filed in New York by the Department of Justice and 30 state and district attorneys general.
The Live Nation company has been closely monitored for months, including by the United States Congress, after the severe collapse that Ticketmaster suffered during the sale of tickets for the successful tour of the singer Taylor Swift.
This situation occurred because the Ticketmaster platform canceled the sale of tickets for said concert on November 17, 2022, just one day before they officially went on sale and was justified by saying that there was a high level of demand, for so the remaining inventory was insufficient to satisfy it.
Just last June, Live Nation pledged to be more transparent with the prices it charges its customersbut it was an apparent response to pressure exerted by Joe Biden's administration.
The lawsuit against the Ticketmaster company will become one of the most important competition cases presented during the Democrat's presidency.
It is worth remembering that, in the last three years, federal regulators have filed antitrust charges against technology giants such as Apple, Amazon and Google.
