Latest news with #LiveNation-Ticketmaster
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Live Nation, Ticketmaster Fail to Get Antitrust Claims Dismissed
While Live Nation-Ticketmaster may have entered the year, as they called it, 'hopeful' that Donald Trump's presidency would bode well for its fight against the massive antitrust lawsuit filed by federal prosecutors last May, the company took a hit Friday when a Biden-appointed judge rejected its bid to dismiss a core element of the Justice Department's complaint. In a seven-page ruling obtained by Rolling Stone, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian refused to toss the DOJ's claim that Live Nation coerces artists into using its concert promotion services if they want to perform at venues in the company's vast network of major amphitheaters. More from Rolling Stone Sean Combs Speaks to Court, Pleads Not Guilty to New Indictments Soulja Boy Begins Trial on Sexual Assault Allegations Sean Combs' Lawyers, Government Clash Over Jury Selection and Trial Start Date Subramanian – the same judge who oversaw Sean 'Diddy' Combs' re-arraignment on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges Friday – found that at this early stage of the government's lawsuit, prosecutors have sufficiently established their claim that Live Nation engaged in illegal 'tying,' the practice of requiring artists to purchase one product or service to gain access to a different product or service. The judge, based in New York, shot down Live Nation's argument that it's not forcing artists into 'tying' because it's actually competing concert promoters hired by artists, not the artists themselves, who rent the venues, and Live Nation has no duty to aid its competitors. 'The complaint explains that due to Live Nation's monopoly power in the large-amphitheater market, artists are effectively locked into using Live Nation as the promoter for a tour that stops at large amphitheaters,' Subramanian wrote. 'The nature of the financial arrangement between promoters and artists is a factual question that can't be resolved on the pleadings, and the complaint at least suggests that it's artist-specific,' he wrote. 'If the evidence shows that promoters book venues on behalf of specific artists, that artists are the driving force behind which venues to book and when, and that artists are coerced into using Live Nation as their promoter if they want access to Live Nation's amphitheaters, plaintiffs may have a viable tying claim.' Lawyers and reps representing Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The DOJ filed the underlying complaint with attorneys general from 29 states and the District of Columbia, painting the concert giant as a mob-like organization and aiming to break it up. In the second part of his decision issued Friday, Judge Subramanian ruled that the states had established their standing to act on behalf of consumers who claim they were overcharged due to Live Nation-Ticketmaster's alleged anti-competitive practices in the primary ticketing market. 'The thrust of the complaint is that Live Nation engaged in a variety of exclusionary conduct to maintain its monopoly over primary-ticketing services, and consumers suffered injury by using those services and getting overcharged. Whatever market definitions one employs, where a defendant unlawfully maintains its monopoly over a product through a course of exclusionary conduct focusing on that product, consumers of that product alleging that they were overcharged suffer a cognizable injury,' he wrote. 'We are not here today because Live Nation-Ticketmaster's conduct is inconvenient, or frustrating. We are here because as we allege that conduct is anti-competitive, and illegal,' Former Attorney General Merrick Garland said when prosecutors first filed the lawsuit last May. 'We allege that Live Nation has illegally monopolized markets across the live concert industry in the United States for far too long. It is time to break it up.' Former Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter initially led the charge for the DOJ. He left the department in December after Trump won the election. Trump's nominee to replace him, Gail Slater, was confirmed on Tuesday. Unlike Trump's other appointees, she has been critical of corporate power. Still, it's not yet clear how she will handle the Biden-era lawsuit's she's inheriting. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How much are Beyoncé tickets? Fans fume over Ticketmaster prices for Cowboy Carter tour
Ready to see Beyoncé? Of course you are, but your wallet might not be. Stylecaster says the average price for Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour is $70-$400. However, the fees associated with these prices can make people pause before entering their credit card information. VIP packages through Ticketmaster range from $732 to $2,958. Options like the 'Real Live Boogie' package offer lower prices, while the exclusive 'Buckin' Honey Pit' and 'Sweet Honey Pit' experience command premium prices. While Beyoncé fans — known as the "Beyhive" — go hard for their favorite artist, many are upset at the prices for this upcoming tour. See what fans are saying. Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour kicks off on April 28. She has two dates in Houston, June 28-29. There's plenty of anticipation for her first country album tour, and fans have plenty to be vexed about regarding ticket prices. See what they had to say: According to Vox, Ticketmaster doesn't directly control ticket pricing. Instead, artists, promoters, sports teams, and venues set the face value prices for tickets. Ticket pricing is set by demand. Ticketmaster acts as a primary ticketing company, providing the technology and services needed to sell and manage tickets. They add service fees, covering costs for venues, the ticketing company, and other involved parties. Last year, the Department of Justice sued Live Nation which owns Ticketmaster for how much control it has on the live music and sports entertainment market. In the complaint, the DOJ claims that Live Nation-Ticketmaster is unlawfully using its monopoly power, violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The Sherman Antitrust Act is a law that prohibits anticompetitive business practices and promotes fair competition. This conduct results in U.S. music fans lacking access in other ways to purchase general public tickets and paying higher prices compared to fans in other countries. Additionally, the suit says Live Nation-Ticketmaster's influence over performers, venues, and independent promoters is harmful to competition. The company also creates barriers that prevent its competitors from entering and expanding in the market, according to the lawsuit. As of now, the lawsuit is still ongoing. In March 2024, Beyoncé released her highly praised eighth studio album, "Cowboy Carter." The album received recognition for tracks including "Bodyguard," "LEVI'S JEANS" featuring Post Malone, "Spaghetti" featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey, "16 Carriages," "II Most Wanted" featuring Miley Cyrus, and "Ya Ya." Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on Sept. 4, 1981 in Houston, where she grew up. Her mother is Celestine "Tina" Knowles and her father is Matthew Knowles. Tina was a costume designer and hair stylist while Matthew was a professional record manager. Before Beyoncé's solo career, she was in the group "Destiny's Child." Their recording career lasted from 1998 to 2004 and they sold over 50 million records worldwide while winning two Grammy Awards and nine nominations. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Beyoncé fans react to Cowboy Carter tour ticket prices: 'Ridiculous'
