Attorney General Keith Ellison said on March 9 that he will continue pursuing an antitrust case against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, for allegedly monopolizing the live entertainment and concert ticketing industry.
The case is significant because it addresses concerns about high ticket prices, limited competition, and challenges faced by artists and music venues. Ellison said the current situation has negatively affected Minnesotans who pay high rates for concert tickets, while also impacting performers and venues.
“For years, Live Nation worked to drive their competition out of the market, eventually becoming virtually the only game in town when it comes to live event ticketing. This monopoly has made Live Nation billions, all while Minnesotans are paying absurd rates for concert tickets, artists are being stifled, and music venues are struggling to get by. My fellow attorneys general and I teamed up with the U.S. Department of Justice to sue Live Nation because their unlawful monopoly cannot continue,” Ellison said.
He criticized a recent settlement between the Department of Justice and Live Nation. “Unfortunately, the Department of Justice’s settlement with Live Nation does very little to actually change the status quo and stop the harms being done to concert-goers, artists, and music venues. Our case here is strong, and while the federal government may be ready to throw in the towel, I am not. I will be working with partner states to continue this litigation in order to hold Live Nation accountable for their unlawful behavior, restore competition to the live music marketplace, and lower costs for Minnesotans who just want to see a concert,” Ellison said.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming have joined Minnesota in continuing legal action against Live Nation.
The outcome of this ongoing litigation could affect how concerts are priced and managed across multiple states.
