INDIANA – Following a six-week antitrust trial, a New York jury returned a verdict in favor of Attorney General Todd Rokita and other plaintiffs on all counts — declaring Live Nation Entertainment Inc. to be a monopolist in its concert and ticketing dealings.
“By pressing forward with this litigation, we have successfully protected Hoosiers and consumers nationwide from the harms of unchecked monopoly power,” said Attorney General Rokita. “This verdict sends a clear message: no company is too big to play by the rules. Live Nation must now provide meaningful relief to fans, artists and venues who have paid the price for its anticompetitive practices.”
After the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with Live Nation during the first week of trial, 33 states and the District of Columbia continued to champion consumer rights by continuing with litigation.
In Live Nation’s own words, they are the “largest live entertainment company in the world,” the “largest producer of live music concerts in the world,” and “the world’s leading live entertainment ticketing sales and marketing company.” For more than a decade, they have willfully monopolized the live entertainment market and abused their size at the expense of fans.
In 2010, Live Nation acquired Ticketmaster as part of a plan to leverage their strength in promoting live entertainment to become a one-stop shop for ticketing and artist promotion. Live Nation’s conduct negatively impacted consumers by raising ticket prices and restricting access to shows and venues.
The current litigation followed years of investigation into Live Nation’s conduct. The states will now proceed to a trial on remedies, where Live Nation and Ticketmaster will be required to remediate their anticompetitive conduct.
The states, like their federal counterparts, have authority to enforce antitrust laws and will continue to do so where appropriate.
Attorney General Rokita is particularly thankful for the work of his Consumer Protection Division on this case, specifically Chief Counsel and Director of Consumer Protection Scott Barnhart; Section Chief of Consumer Litigation Corinne Gilchrist; and two deputy attorneys general in consumer litigation — Jennifer Linsey and Jesse Moore.
