WA Seeks to Break Up Live Nation-Ticketmaster Event Monopoly

According to information from the WA State Attorney General's Office, WA and 29 other state attorney's general are teaming up on a lawsuit against entertainment ticket giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

  The lawsuit has been filed in New York

According to the AG's office:

"The lawsuit asserts the companies used their dominance over concert tickets to undermine competition for the ticketing of live events, driving up ticket costs for individuals. The lawsuit asserts Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by eliminating rivals and increasing barriers for other companies, creating an unlawful monopoly over the live entertainment industry. Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010."

Live Nation owns or operates 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters in the US, and owns or controls 250 of the top US event venues. They also have significant control over a number of other entities, according to the AG:

"It also has controlling interests in popular festivals around the country like Austin City Limits, Bonaroo and Lollapalooza. In Washington, Live Nation manages the Gorge Amphitheater in George, RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Ridgefield and White River Amphitheater in Auburn. Live Nation generated more than $22 billion in revenue in 2023."

Ticketmaster, according to the AG, has internal information showing they account for 70 to 80 percent of primary event ticket sales in North America.

 The lawsuit claims after the two merged in 2010, they engaged in a process of acquiring and neutralizing competing industry entities.  According to the lawsuit:

"Because these companies have developed such a stranglehold over the live entertainment industry, the justice department and states seek to unwind their merger and separate the companies."

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The states participating in the lawsuit include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia (WA D.C.)