In a noteworthy development, New York Attorney General Letitia James, together with the U.S. Department of Justice and a group of 40 bipartisan attorneys general, secured a legal victory against entertainment giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster. A federal judge has dismissed a motion by Live Nation seeking to toss out a lawsuit accusing the company of monopolistic practices. The suit claims that Live Nation's stranglehold over the live events market forces fans to pay inflated prices and limits options for artists and venues, according to the Attorney General's official website.
"It’s time to end the Era of Live Nation’s excessive market power, which has left fans seeing Red after being forced to pay high ticket prices," James said in a statement obtained by the Attorney General's Office. The lawsuit outlines several grievances, including non-transparent fees for fans, a dearth of concert choices, and constricted opportunities for artists and venues to break free from the Live Nation-Ticketmaster stronghold.
The ruling from Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York marks a significant step forward in the antitrust case. By denying Live Nation's dismissal motion, the court has effectively given the green light for the case to proceed in full. Live Nation, with its exclusive booking rights to a multitude of venues and its ticket sales monopoly through Ticketmaster, allegedly engages in anticompetitive conduct that eliminates rivals, injures consumers, and undermines the live event industry's competitive landscape.
Among the states participating in the lawsuit are a wide array of jurisdictions, stretching from California to Florida and including the District of Columbia. For New York, the matter is being handled by a team of specialists from the Antitrust Bureau, part of the Division of Economic Justice. Officials pushing for action include Senior Enforcement Counsel Bryan Bloom, Assistant Attorneys General Jeremy Kasha and Benjamin Cole, and Antitrust Fellow Juliana Karp. They work under the watch of Bureau Chief Elinor Hoffmann and the larger Division of Economic Justice, overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy, as detailed by the Attorney General's Office.
The lawsuit aims for the disgorgement of ill-gained profits and civil penalties against Live Nation and Ticketmaster and demands an end to practices that stifle competition and lead to unfair outcomes for consumers, performing artists, and venue operators.
