For now, Live Nation deal is just a 'Band Aid,' says antitrust scholar - Harvard Gazette

"According to the government, Live Nation dominates three related markets. One is ticketing. If you go to a major concert, most of the time you're going to go through Ticketmaster, and that's owned by Live Nation. Live Nation also owns, according to the government, the vast majority of what they're calling major concert venues, which is anything larger than a theater or small venue, but not quite a stadium."

"In a 2024 lawsuit, the Justice Department's Antitrust Division alleged that Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, illegally stifles competition at the hundreds of venues Live Nation operates across the United States, artificially driving up ticket costs for concertgoers. The DOJ asked for the two companies, which merged in 2010, to be broken up."

"The settlement was rejected by 36 states that had joined the DOJ's lawsuit last year, including Massachusetts. The trial resumed Monday. The deal requires Live Nation to forgo some exclusive booking arrangements, which will allow certain venues to choose which concert promoters to work with, and also caps ticketing service fees at 15 percent at those venues."

The Justice Department's Antitrust Division alleged that Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster illegally suppress competition across ticketing, venue ownership, and concert promotion markets. Live Nation dominates ticketing through Ticketmaster, owns the majority of major concert venues including outdoor amphitheaters, and controls a significant portion of concert promotion services. This vertical integration allegedly artificially inflates ticket prices for consumers. The DOJ initially sought to break up the merged companies from their 2010 combination. However, a settlement was reached requiring Live Nation to eliminate exclusive booking arrangements and cap ticketing service fees at 15 percent at certain venues, rather than forcing divestiture. The settlement was rejected by 36 states, including Massachusetts, and litigation continues.

Read at Harvard Gazette