Justice Department Sues Live Nation and Ticketmaster for Monopolizing Live Concert Industry to ‘Combat Corporate Misconduct’

A civil antitrust lawsuit filed on Thursday, May 23 seeks to break up the partnership and bring back lower cost options for ticket buyers

According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, the DOJ and 30 state and district attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC on Thursday, May 23 for its monopolization in the live concert industry.

The complaint aims to restore competition in the live music market, offer better tickets at lower prices for consumers and “combat corporate misconduct.”

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation.”

In a statement, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco added that “today’s action is a step forward in making this era of live music more accessible for the fans, the artists, and the industry that supports them.”

Live Nation Entertainment responded to the filing in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, saying, “The DOJ’s lawsuit won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows. Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin.”