“People are fed up with the outrageous fees they have to pay to see their favorite artists.”
Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced a victory in the multi-state case against Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster. A judge in the Southern District of New York denied a motion by the two companies to dismiss parts of a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 40 states and the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit, filed in May of 2024, alleged that Live Nation overcharged consumers, limited artists’ ability to perform at different venues and restricted venues it doesn’t own from working with other vendors.
“People are fed up with the outrageous fees they have to pay just to see their favorite artists put on a show,” Rayfield said. “This ruling is a win for consumers and artists. Live Nation and Ticketmaster don’t want to be held accountable for the monopoly they have created. We are going to fight to make sure Oregonians aren’t faced with these inflated prices, and that artists have control over where they perform.”
The multi-state lawsuit argues that Live Nation’s anticompetitive conduct causes fans to have to pay additional fees that are not transparent. Fans also have limited options when buying tickets and have fewer concert choices. The suit also notes that artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, and fewer choices for promoting their concerts and selling tickets to their own shows.
The lawsuit is asking for civil penalties and that Live Nation and Ticketmaster give back the money they obtained through illegal or unethical means. The coalition is also asking the court to stop the companies’ monopolistic behavior that is harming consumers, artists, and venues.
Joining Attorney General Rayfield and DOJ in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.
