Senators Call for U.S. Justice Department to Continue Examining Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s ‘Anticompetitive Conduct’

variety.com:

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor As part of the ongoing bipartan examination of alleged anticompetitive conduct by Ticketmaster, U.S.

Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Mn.) and Mike Lee (R-Ut.), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, sent evidence from their recent hearing to the Department of Justice and called on the DOJ to continue examining the company and its parent Live Nation.

The bipartisan letter follows the recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on America’s ticketing market in the wake of the chaotic on-sale for Taylor Swift’s 2023 stadium tour.  “We have long been concerned about the state of competition in America’s ticketing industry, especially with the power and reach of Live Nation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster…For too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have wielded monopoly power anticompetitively, harming fans and artists alike,” the senators wrote to Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division Jonathan Kanter. “We recently held a bipartisan hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee at which the President of Live Nation testified under oath, as did other industry participants, including an artist, a secondary market ticketing company, a promoter, and industry experts… As an initial matter, other than Live Nation’s executive, every witness at our hearing testified that Live Nation is harming America’s music industry.” “We asked Live Nation a number of questions about competition both at the hearing and afterwards, but it has largely failed to answer them,” the senators continued. “Live Nation’s responses amount to ‘trust us.’ We believe that is wholly insufficient.