DOJ preparing legal action against Live Nation over ticketing practices: reports

The Justice Department is preparing legal action against entertainment company Live Nation over its ticketing practices, according to multiple reports. 

The company will be accused of strong-arming concert venues into using Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, The Wall Street Journal first reported, citing people familiar. 

A source told Reuters that the Justice Department thinks Live Nation’s actions are in violation of a 2010 Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger settlement. The government plans to file a decree enforcement action, the person told Reuters. 

Neither Live Nation nor the Justice Department immediately responded to The Hill’s request for comment. 

The government also reportedly plans to expand restrictions by several years as the settlement is slated to expire next year. 

Reuters reported that Live Nation has said in a government filing that it worked on 35,000 events with more than 4,500 artists in 2018 and has sole booking rights or an equity interest in 237 venues. 

The House Energy and Commerce committee last month announced that it was investigating Live Nation along with other top online ticket sales companies in a letter describing “potentially unfair and deceptive practices.”