The Justice Department plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, as soon as Thursday, according to four people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the case before it becomes public. The lawsuit is expected to allege that the entertainment conglomerate leveraged its sprawling footprint - as a concert promoter, ticket seller and venue owner - to box out rivals in ways that lessened consumer choice and resulted in rising prices for consumers, the sources said. Federal officials plan to file the case in a New York federal court alongside dozens of state attorneys general, one of the sources said. The move would cap a probe that first registered vast public interest after Ticketmaster mishandled sales in 2022 for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, sparking widespread outcry. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/05/22/live-nation-doj-antitrust/

Source: Washington Post May 23, 2024 02:40 UTC