Live Nation and Ticketmaster had monopoly over big venues, US jury finds

A federal jury finds Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized the market for major concert venues, a landmark verdict that could reshape the live music industry. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Live Nation and Ticketmaster had monopoly over big venues, US jury finds

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A federal jury in Manhattan has found that concert behemoth Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster maintained an illegal monopoly over major concert venues across the United States. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday after four days of deliberation, represents a decisive loss for the company in a civil antitrust lawsuit brought by dozens of state attorneys general. The case centered on allegations that the entertainment giant used its sprawling control over ticketing, artist promotion, and venue operations to stifle competition and harm consumers. The jury's decision confirms long-standing complaints from fans, artists, and rival businesses that Live Nation-Ticketmaster's market dominance has led to higher fees, fewer choices, and an opaque ticketing ecosystem. The states argued that the company leveraged its powerful position to lock venues into long-term, exclusive contracts for Ticketmaster's services, often by tying those agreements to the lucrative Live Nation concerts that venues desperately need to book. This practice, known as bundling, allegedly made it commercially impossible for competing ticketing companies to gain a foothold in the market for large amphitheaters and arenas. The legal battle stems from the 2010 merger of Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, and Ticketmaster, the dominant ticketing platform, a union that was approved by the Justice Department with certain conditions. Critics argued from the outset that the conditions were insufficient to prevent anti-competitive behavior. This week's verdict validates those concerns, suggesting the company overstepped the bounds of its post-merger settlement and engaged in exclusionary conduct that fortified its market power. The case peeled back the curtain on the inner workings of a corporation that controls a vast majority of major concert ticket sales and live event promotions in the U.S. The implications of the verdict are immediate and significant for the structure of the live entertainment industry. While the precise remedies will be determined in a subsequent penalty phase overseen by U.S. District Judge Lorna Schofield, the ruling empowers the court to order...

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Categoria: cronaca