the only way to make live events truly affordable and competitive for fans, artists, and venues is to break up Live Nation
Break up Live Nation to increase competition and affordability in the live event ticketing, venues, and promotion sector.
Occurrences
“The Justice Department is doing the right thing today by seeking to break up this monopoly that has long harmed fans, artists, and venues. In addition to holding Live Nation accountable, I’ve also fought to create common sense guardrails to promote healthy competition in the ticketing market, and I will continue to work towards passing my bipartisan legislation that would do just that.”
Evidence
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, released the following statement on the Department of Justice’s settlement announcement with Live Nation: “Given Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly dominance in ticketing, venues, and promotion, the only way to make live events truly affordable and competitive for fans, artists, and venues is to break up Live Nation. That became clear to me and many others after our 2023 Senate Judiciary hearing that I chaired on Live Nation-Ticketmaster‘s anticompetitive conduct. The Justice Department’s previous agreements with Live Nation failed because they did not change its incentives to enrich itself over fans, artists, and venues. Today’s settlement appears to be more of the same. I am glad state attorneys general of both parties are already standing against this deal and pledging to continue the case to protect consumers. It is also troubling that the Justice Department settled this case less than a month after ousting the head of the Antitrust Division amidst warnings Live Nation was circumventing antitrust enforcers to cut a deal. These backroom dealings hurt consumers. That’s why I plan to introduce legislation to strengthen review of antitrust settlements to ensure settlements benefit consumers.”
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the Antitrust Accountability and Transparency Act to strengthen review of antitrust settlements and ensure they protect consumers, workers, and small businesses. “When the government prosecutes antitrust violations, the goal should be to uphold the law, lower prices, and protect consumers and small businesses. In the recent settlement between the Department of Justice and Live Nation, it is clear the American people got the raw end of the deal. This bill—which has support from antitrust enforcers from both sides of the aisle—ensures that courts have the tools to independently review settlements and approve only those that benefit the American people,” said Klobuchar.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the statement below following the Department of Justice filing a lawsuit against Live Nation alleging the company has violated antitrust laws. “Consolidation and unlawful conduct in the ticketing market has left buyers with fewer choices and higher prices. The hidden fees, the messed up processes, and the stranglehold on competition has long hurt fans. As a result, the live event entertainment experience has become increasingly out of reach for many Americans,” said Klobuchar. “The Justice Department is doing the right thing today by seeking to break up this monopoly that has long harmed fans, artists, and venues. In addition to holding Live Nation accountable, I’ve also fought to create common sense guardrails to promote healthy competition in the ticketing market, and I will continue to work towards passing my bipartisan legislation that would do just that.”
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced legislation to improve competition in live event ticketing markets. Today’s primary ticketing market is dominated by one company that by some estimates has locked up 70 to 80 percent market share and has used its dominance to pressure venues to agree to ticketing contracts that last up to ten years, insulating it from competition. The Unlock Ticketing Markets Act would help restore competition to live event ticketing markets by empowering the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the use of excessively long multi-year exclusive contracts that lock out competitors, decrease incentives to innovate new services, and increase costs for fans.
"This decision is a major step toward restoring competition and accountability in live events. Now the Court must ensure any remedy truly opens the market, and that means lowering prices, increasing innovation, and protecting fans, artists, and venues, not delivering another deal that falls short."
In their answer, Live Nation and Ticketmaster deny that they are monopolists and argue that "competition has thrived" and that the merger "has increased competition and been good for fans, artists, and venues."
Assessments
The promised outcome, breaking up Live Nation to improve competition and affordability, has not been completed. The evidence shows Klobuchar actively advanced the issue through Senate antitrust oversight, public pressure, and related legislation, and she supported DOJ action seeking a breakup. However, the most recent evidence indicates the Live Nation-Ticketmaster matter remains in litigation or remedy proceedings, with no implemented breakup or completed market restructuring. Because Klobuchar remains in federal office and the outcome is still pending rather than finally defeated, this is unresolved rather than never.
Senator Amy Klobuchar made repeated and high-profile legislative and executive efforts to break up Live Nation and/or to significantly increase competition in the live event ticketing sector. This included supporting DOJ action, introducing multiple bills to enhance antitrust regulation and ticketing competition, and publicly advocating for a breakup following unsatisfactory DOJ settlements. However, there is no evidence that Live Nation was broken up, nor that major regulatory changes were enacted to substantially alter competition or affordability in the sector as promised. Despite sustained legislative advocacy and partnership with enforcement actions, the core outcome—a breakup or clear increase in competition/affordability—was not delivered.
Senator Klobuchar has taken substantial legislative and public advocacy steps to address Live Nation's dominance in the ticketing and events industry, including introducing targeted antitrust and competition legislation as well as supporting DOJ efforts to break up Live Nation. However, neither the breakup of Live Nation nor the passage of legislation forcing such a breakup has occurred. Therefore, the promise to 'Break up Live Nation' has not been delivered, but there is clear, credible effort.