Watchdog Slams Justice Department’s Case Against Live Nation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224) 456-0257

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Live Nation reportedly reached a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) requiring the company—which owns Ticketmaster—to pay participating states $200 million in damages, open its platform to competing ticketing companies, divest more than ten amphitheaters, and reduce the length of contracts with venues. Along with 40 state attorneys general (AGs), the DOJ sued Live Nation in May 2024 alleging antitrust violations.

David Williams, President of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), criticized the DOJ-pressured settlement:  

“When the DOJ and state AGs first sued Live Nation, TPA was among the first to point out how ridiculous the case was. For years, federal antitrust officials have claimed—without evidence—that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary wield unlawful market power in live entertainment. The basic realities of the industry tell a different story. The overwhelming evidence shows that concert prices are driven by market demand—not by the ticketing platform processing the transaction. Yet, the federal government has spent millions of taxpayer dollars chasing debunked antitrust theories.

“The DOJ has spent years pursuing this case driven largely by political frustration over ticket prices and isolated ticketing issues—most notably the Taylor Swift presale meltdown. But antitrust law is not meant to punish companies for being unpopular or large. By extracting outsized concessions from a company in a dynamic and competitive market, the settlement sends all the wrong messages to innovators.

“It’s time for federal antitrust authorities to end their overreach and focus on demonstrable consumer harm. Overzealous antitrust enforcement benefits no one outside of Washington, D.C.”

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 The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.