FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 21, 2025
Contact: Ben Conroy
(984) 383-9038
RALEIGH – Late last week, a judge denied Live Nation’s motion to dismiss an antitrust case brought by Attorney General Jeff Jackson, 39 other Republican and Democratic Attorneys General, and the U.S. Department of Justice. This is a major step forward in this case that brings us closer to accountability for Live Nation.
“Live Nation operates as an unlawful monopoly, which means that North Carolina consumers suffer when purchasing tickets through their business,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “The court was right to deny Live Nation’s attempts to avoid legal accountability and we’ll continue fighting for lawful ticketing and a healthy live show industry.”
The states and the federal government sued Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, in 2024, alleging that Live Nation created an illegal monopoly in the live entertainment industry.
In his order denying Live Nation’s motion to dismiss the case, the judge found that the states and USDOJ sufficiently alleged that Live Nation overcharged consumers due to its maintenance of a monopoly over ticketing services. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Live Nation:
- Harmed ticket buyers by charging higher fees and hiding information from consumers about the actual total cost to see a show.
- Maintained its monopoly by locking venues into restrictive, long-term, exclusive agreements and threatening venues with losing access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they sign with a rival ticketer.
- Forced artists to select Live Nation as a promoter over its rivals by leveraging its large network of venues.
The lawsuit asks the court to stop Live Nation from engaging in its anticompetitive practices and to require Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster.
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