Virginia joins Justice Department, 28 states suing to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster

Virginia is among a coalition of states that have joined with the U.S. Department of Justice to sue Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidy, Ticketmaster, claiming it is an illegal monopoly and should be broken up.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Southern District of New York, alleges the companies are violating antitrust laws through its myriad anticompetitive practices.

In a Thursday news release, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment have a “stronghold” over the live entertainment industry that harms artists, venues, consumers and small businesses.

“Virginia consumers and businesses deserve a free marketplace for products, services, and ideas,” Miyares said. “Breaking up Ticketmaster and Live Nation will allow for competition and innovation to return to the live entertainment industry.”

The lawsuit alleges that Live Nation has engaged in numerous forms of anticompetitive conduct, including acquiring competitors, retaliating against potential entrants, threatening and retaliating against venues that work with rivals, locking out competition with exclusionary contracts and restricting artists’ access to venues.

“The real world, practical costs of Live Nation’s strategy are well-known,” the lawsuit states. “Public
frustration with concert ticket pricing and sales is a constant drumbeat. The fees that must be paid to attend a live concert in America far exceed fees in comparable parts of the world. Any fan who has logged onto Ticketmaster’s website to buy a concert ticket knows the feeling of shock and frustration as the base cost of the ticket increases dramatically with the addition of fees.”

In a statement, Live Nation Entertainment rejected the allegations. The company blamed higher ticket prices on other factors, including artist popularity, increasing production costs and online ticket scalping.

“Our growth comes from helping artists tour globally, creating lasting memories for millions of fans, and supporting local economies across the country by sustaining quality jobs,” the statement reads. “We will defend against these baseless allegations, use this opportunity to shed light on the industry, and continue to push for reforms that truly protect consumers and artists.”

The coalition suing Live Nation includes 28 other states and the District of Columbia.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com