Live Nation Entertainment owns, operates, controls booking for, or has equity interests in hundreds of venues across the U.S., while Ticketmaster is the world's largest ticket seller for live events. According to attorney Jeffrey Kessler, the combined entity controls an estimated 86% of the concert market and 73% of the overall market including sports events. Ticketmaster merged with Live Nation in 2010, consolidating their market dominance.
Internal messages from Live Nation executive Benjamin Baker described some prices as outrageous, called customers so stupid, and boasted the company was robbing them blind, baby. Benjamin Baker later testified apologetically, admitting the messages were very immature and unacceptable. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino testified and attributed the 2022 Taylor Swift ticket debacle to a cyberattack.
The case was brought by numerous U.S. states against Live Nation, with the current lawsuit initiated by the Justice Department and dozens of states during the Biden administration. Pearl Jam filed an anti-monopoly complaint against the business in the 1990s, which the U.S. Department of Justice declined to pursue. Days into the trial, the Trump administration announced it was settling its claims against Live Nation. Live Nation denies being a monopoly and maintains that artists, sports teams, and venues set pricing and ticketing practices.