The US sues Ticketmaster for driving up live event fees
![The US Department of Justice logo above a red ticket background.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8eAaCEs7faYcZnmZDX6lB-LN9Jw=/0x0:2040x1360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73365661/Ticketmaster_Live_Nation_DOJ_.0.jpg)
The US Justice Department and 30 state and district attorneys general have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, alleging that it has a monopoly in the live ticketing industry that enables it to illegally suppress competition.
“It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
The DOJ alleges that Live Nation’s dominance — which spans ticket sales, promotion, artist management, and venue ownership — has given the company unfair commercial advantages over rivals. In particular, its alleged ticketing monopoly has reduced consumer choice, resulting in higher prices, according to the government. Live...