DoJ Live Nation antitrust expands as 39 States, DC join lawsuit

[UPDATED] The Department of Justice has filed an amended complaint in its antitrust battle against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

With the filing came news that nine more states—Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, and Vermont—have joined the antitrust suit, bringing the total to 39 and the District of Columbia.

The remaining holdouts are Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, and North Dakota.

Expanded Live Nation Lawsuit

The amended DoJ complaint alleges that SafeTix, nontransferable digital tickets that Ticketmaster launched in 2019 ostensibly to thwart resellers like StubHub,b was primarily designed as a “product enhancement… for market share” and an opportunity to “reduce TM’s economic risk,” according to the DoJ.

The amended filing also affirmed Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominance. According to internal Live Nation documents, 80% of US arenas that host NBA or NHL teams use Ticketmaster, and Live Nation-promoted events account for 70% of all US amphitheater shows.

Because of Ticketmaster, consumers have “paid more and continue to pay more for fees relating to tickets to live events than they would have paid in a free and open competitive market,” alleges the DoJ, who are seeking full access to financial records to determine the size of the damages.

Live Nation Responds

In a statement, Live Nation said: “There is nothing new in the Amended Complaint – the lawsuit still won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows. We look forward to sharing more facts as the case progresses.”