In 2010, the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster combined the nation’s largest concert promoter, venue operator, and artist manager with the nation’s largest ticketing service. This merged firm has leveraged its control over the live event industry to block competitors, self-deal at the expense of artists, independent venues, and fans. Last year, the Break Up Ticketmaster coalition launched to call attention to these harms and to urge the Department of Justice to break up this live events behemoth. Ultimately, over 100,000 Americans sent letters to the DOJ urging them to save live events. Shortly after, the New York Times reported the DOJ has opened an antitrust investigation into the giant.
Now, academics and advocates alike are analyzing Live Nation’s business model and exploring what type of case the DOJ could bring to restore competition to the live events industry. On January 23rd at 1:00 PM ET, join the American Economic Liberties Project to discuss our recently published brief, “The Case Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
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