Demand Progress

Break up the live ticketing monopoly!

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    Break up the live ticketing monopoly!

    Petition to Congress:
    We urge you to investigate the Ticketmaster-Live Nation monopoly! The 2010 Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger allowed the ticketing behemoth to clinch a 70% share of the live ticketing market, harming performers and concert-goers alike. Now, Congress must investigate the corporation for potential violations of antitrust law.

    When Ticketmaster-Live Nation lists the price of a concert but doesn’t include mysterious fees that can hike the ticket price up as much as 70%, they’re not just bumming out music fans, they’re manipulating the entire industry of live events, hurting both customers and performers.1

    Ticketmaster-Live Nation gets away with this because they own 70% of the market share. They aren’t just clearly a monopoly, Ticketmaster-Live Nation might also be violating the conditions that allowed their megamerger to begin with. In essence, lying to the government. Join the legions of grassroots activists calling on Congress to break up the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly. 

    Sign the petition: Investigate Ticketmaster-Live Nation for potential violations of antitrust law!

    In 2010, the government allowed Ticketmaster and Live Nation to merge into one single corporation under certain conditions. That was a huge mistake. The merger handed Ticketmaster-Live Nation an absurd 70% market share, and Ticketmaster-Live Nation has already failed to uphold its end of the agreement.1

    Back in March, John Oliver explained on Last Week Tonight why Ticketmaster-Live Nation has become “one of the most hated companies on earth.” The corporation charges exorbitant fees, which supposedly go to “other parties” but in fact sometimes go to Ticketmaster-Live Nation itself. And the company’s lax security practices enable bots to snap up all available tickets and sell them at a premium, jacking up costs to consumers even further.2

    In short, Oliver explained, the Ticketmaster-Live Nation  monopoly forces us to pay a lot of money to “a lot of people who do not contribute anything to the actual show that you’re paying to see.”2

    Consumers, performers, and venues need protection from Ticketmaster-Live Nation’s abuse. It’s time for the U.S. government to reverse the disastrous Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger! 

    Sign the petition: Investigate Ticketmaster-Live Nation for potential violations of antitrust law! 

    Sources: 

    1. Hollywood Reporter, “Activist Group Asks Justice Dept. to Unwind Live Nation and Ticketmaster Merger,” October 19, 2022.
    2. The Guardian, “John Oliver rips Ticketmaster and live music costs: ‘One of the most hated companies on earth,’” March 14, 2022