Live Nation, Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit; settlement reached

Live Nation, Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit settlement reached

It is a move the Justice Department says will lower the cost of live entertainment, but critics are not so sure. The feds have reached a settlement deal with Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, in a 2024 antitrust lawsuit.

MILWAUKEE - It is a move the Justice Department says will lower the cost of live entertainment, but critics are not so sure. The feds have reached a settlement deal with Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, in a 2024 antitrust lawsuit. 

Settlement reached

What we know:

Ticketmaster and Live Nation were accused of running a monopoly and overcharging for concerts. Supporters of the settlement say the deal will give local venues a fighting chance. Critics say it is essentially a slap on the wrist. 

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Live Nation had been accused of threatening to cut off access to high-profile artists and tours if venues used ticketing services other than Ticketmaster. 

The settlement deal says Live Nation would pay a fine of up to $280 million split among the 29 states that backed the lawsuit, including Wisconsin. It would also need to end the exclusive booking deals it has with certain amphitheaters. 

But New York's attorney general released a statement saying the settlement fails to address the monopoly at the center of the case. She said New York and several other states, including Wisconsin, will continue with the lawsuit. 

FOX6 News reached out to Wisconsin's Department of Justice, but did not hear back by the deadline for this story. 

Fine big enough?

What they're saying:

In Milwaukee, Gary Witt of the Pabst Theater group said he is concerned the fine is not big enough. 

"If the U.S. government ever wants to make a difference in how they fine large corporations like this, don’t mess around with $280 million. Add two more zeroes to it, and maybe we’re talking about someone actually responding seriously," Witt said. "I don’t ever want to get to a point where concert ticket buying is such a luxury that people just don’t do it anymore."

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Live Nation has been firm that artists and teams are the ones that set prices and decide how tickets are sold. 

FOX6 News reached out to Live Nation for comment on Monday. A spokesperson provided the following statement after our story (above) appeared on FOX6 News:

We are pleased to have settled our lawsuit with the United States Department of Justice.

"Today marks a major step in improving the concert experience for artists and fans throughout the United States. Live Nation is proud to lead the way enhancing this experience with our amphitheaters, which will be open to all promoters, allowing these promoters to decide how best to distribute up to 50% of the tickets, and capping ticketing service fees at 15%. By giving artists greater flexibility in choosing their promotional partners and ticketing strategy while also keeping the cost of a concert more affordable for fans, we are putting more power where it should be – with artists and fans," said Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment.

In addition, Live Nation will be divesting its 13 exclusive booking agreements with amphitheaters nationwide. All owned and operated amphitheaters will continue to be operated by Live Nation as open venues, promoting competition and maximizing show volume.

In ticketing, Ticketmaster will be providing both exclusive and non-exclusive ticketing proposals to all major concert venues, which preserves the rights of venues to seek the type of contracts they preferred over the years while providing the government with restrictions to mitigate their concerns. At the same time, for venues that choose to do so, they may distribute some portion of their tickets through other primary ticketing marketplaces.

"We have never relied on exclusivity to drive our ticketing business, it has simply been the result of having the best products, services and people in the industry. We are happy to take greater steps to empower artists and venues in their ticketing decisions, and are confident we will continue to succeed on the quality of what we deliver," continued Rapino. 

This settlement will also include an eight-year extension of the company’s consent decree with the DOJ, including retaliation and conditioning terms, providing venues ongoing comfort the company does not condone such behavior.

There is no financial component to the settlement with the DOJ. This does not settle the claims of all plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and the company has created a $280 million settlement fund to address the states’ damages claims.