Live Nation and Ticketmaster sued for alleged attempts to monopolize ticket sales

Event and ticketing giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been sued in the US. The lawsuit is based on allegations of violations of antitrust laws and conduct that is considered to be aimed at achieving a monopoly position.

The lawsuits were filed through law firms Quinn Emanuel and Keller Lenker on January 4th. The case was reported by Billboard and NME. According to the music magazine Rolling Stone, the class action is being brought by Ticketmaster customers who bought tickets through the company in 2020.

Quinn Emmanuel filed a lawsuit against Live Nation earlier in 2020 on similar grounds, but the court sided with Live Nation.

The latest lawsuit alleges that Live Nation and Ticketmaster used their power to intimidate concert venues into selling tickets exclusively through Ticketmaster.

The lawsuit was made due to Live Nation’s “anticompetitive scheme has been wildly successful and today threatens to put nearly all ticketing services for major concert venues (primary and secondary) in the U.S. under Ticketmaster’s monopolistic thumb.”