New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Mar. 9 that her office, along with a bipartisan group of attorneys general from across the country, will continue their lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster for allegedly monopolizing the live entertainment industry.
The case is significant because it addresses concerns about competition and consumer costs in the live entertainment sector. James said the recent settlement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice does not resolve the core issue of Live Nation’s alleged monopoly and would favor the company over consumers.
“For years, Live Nation has made enormous profits by exploiting its illegal monopoly and raising costs for shows. My office has led a bipartisan group of attorneys general in suing Live Nation for taking advantage of fans, venues, and artists, and we are committed to holding Live Nation accountable,” James said. She added, “The settlement recently announced with the U.S. Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers. We cannot agree to it.”
James also stated, “My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.” She concluded, “We will keep fighting this case without the federal government so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation’s monopoly.”
Attorneys general from more than two dozen states and Washington D.C. are joining New York in continuing this legal action. The matter is being handled by members of New York’s Antitrust Bureau under supervision within the Division of Economic Justice.
The New York Attorney General promotes social justice through civil rights enforcement and consumer advocacy according to its official website. The office also protects residents’ rights, ensures public safety, upholds consumer protections, preserves the environment according to its official website, operates regional offices statewide according to its official website, provides services such as fraud investigations and tenant dispute mediation according to its official website, functions as a public law enforcement agency according to its official website, and is headed by Letitia James according to its official website.
Observers will be watching how this ongoing litigation could affect future practices in ticketing and live event promotion.
