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The lawsuit is part of a broader push by American regulators to rein in the growing power of corporations in the Internet age, testing centuries-old antitrust laws against the new power wielded by big companies over consumers. The Justice Department has sued Apple and filed two lawsuits against Google, while the Federal Trade Commission has filed antitrust lawsuits against Amazon and Meta.
The Justice Department’s latest lawsuit is a direct challenge to the business of Live Nation, a behemoth of the entertainment industry and a force in the lives of musicians and fans. The case, filed 14 years after the government approved Live Nation’s merger with Ticketmaster, has the potential to transform the multibillion-dollar concert industry.
Live Nation’s size and reach far exceeds that of any competitor, encompassing concert promotion, ticketing, artist management and management of hundreds of venues and festivals around the world. “Live Nation has its tentacles into virtually every aspect of the live entertainment industry,” the government says in its complaint.
According to the Department of Justice, Live Nation controls approximately 60% of concert promotions at major venues in the United States and approximately 80% of primary ticketing at major concert venues.
Lawmakers, fans and competitors have accused the company of engaging in practices that harm rivals and drive up ticket prices and fees. At a congressional hearing early last year, prompted by Taylor Swift’s tour pre-sale on Ticketmaster that left millions unable to purchase tickets, senators from both parties called Live Nation a monopoly.
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