FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For media inquiries, please contact: Reggie Rucker, ILSR communications director
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 23, 2024) – Ron Knox, senior researcher and writer at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), made the following statement on today’s announcement of the U.S. Department of Justice’s federal antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation:
“We commend the Justice Department’s (DOJ) decision to finally end Live Nation’s stranglehold on the live music industry. The DOJ’s lawsuit to break up Live Nation has been a long time coming. Since its merger with Ticketmaster was allowed to proceed more than a dozen years ago, Live Nation has used its grip on artist management, tours, venues, and ticketing to rip off concertgoers, manipulate artists, undermine independent venues, and shut out competing ticketing companies. Live Nation’s multifaceted monopoly has caused untold harm to the live music industry, which is the main moneymaker for most bands and artists today. Even mega-stars like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen are subject to its dictates.
“Independent venues have been particularly vulnerable to Live Nation’s monopoly tactics. The company has a documented history of forcing small, independent venues to use Ticketmaster or else miss out on lucrative tours by Live Nation-represented artists—the exact kind of abusive behavior the DOJ’s lawsuit seeks to end. Independent venues deserve the right to use whatever ticketing service they choose without being blacklisted from Live Nation artists and tours. By ending these monopoly abuses, the DOJ will open the door to rival ticketing services that respect artists and independent venues and deliver a better experience for fans.
“Although the court will ultimately decide how to best address Live Nation’s monopoly power, we believe that breaking up and separating Live Nation’s distinct lines of business is the best solution to allow venues, artists, and fans to truly benefit from competition in the industry.”
Additional resources from Ron Knox on corporate concentration in the music industry:
Ron has appeared on CBC, KEXP’s Sound and Vision, WBEZ’s Sound Opinions, WNYC, and elsewhere, discussing monopoly power in the music industry and Live Nation’s dominance in particular.
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