Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stacks the deck against Live Nation-Ticketmaster, launching a massive antitrust lawsuit with the backing of a coalition that spans party lines and nearly 30 states, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice. At the heart of the suit is an accusation that the live entertainment behemoth has been playing the markets like a fiddle, monopolizing live concert industry sectors and elbowing out fair competition.

Since the merge of Ticketmaster and Live Nation in 2010, the super-company has maintained a stranglehold on not just ticket sales but a swath of concert-related realms, earning the title of the self-proclaimed "largest live entertainment company in the world." The company's domineering tactics reportedly include strong-arming exclusive deals with venues and artists under the looming threat of economic sanctions.

The result of this monopoly, as outlined in the suit, has been skyrocketing prices, baffling fees, and a curtailing of choices for consumers and steps up the ladder from the fans to the talent themselves. AG Paxton's lawsuit is not just a rubble-rouser; it seeks concrete outcomes like injunctive relief, corporate breakup of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, and restitution for those caught in the snare of this monopoly.

"Mega-corporations cannot control entire industries to create anti-competitive environments, drive up prices, and take advantage of consumers," Paxton said, as per the announcement from his office.