Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Nov 07, 2025

DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations

DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations

The investigation predates this week's Taylor Swift concert ticket fiasco.
Live Nation Entertainment, the concert production giant and parent company of Ticketmaster, is under Justice Department antitrust scrutiny over its dominant role in the music industry that could lead to a possible break up of the company, according to two people with knowledge of the probe.

The company has endured a wave of criticism this week over the botched sale process for musician Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour. But the Swift debacle is unrelated to the DOJ investigation, which began in earnest over the summer, according to the people, who spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to comment on a confidential investigation. The probe is focused on whether and how the company uses its heft to muscle out competing ticketing services, concert promoters and other parts of the multibillion-dollar live music industry, the people said.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for Live Nation did not respond to a request for comment.

The New York Times earlier reported the DOJ investigation.

While the investigation has gained steam in recent months, Live Nation has been under federal oversight since 2010 when it merged with the ticketing giant Ticketmaster. As part of a settlement with the government allowing the deal to close, the companies agreed to sell off some ticketing assets, license ticketing software and agree to not force venues to use Ticketmaster. That settlement had an expiration date in 2020.

In late 2019 the company settled with the DOJ again, over violations of the earlier agreement. The DOJ accused the company of using its dominant position in the live music industry to force artists and venues to use both its ticketing and concert promotion services. The company is by far the largest ticketing company in the U.S., as well as one of the largest concert-promotion, artist management and venue operators. As part of the new agreement, the company agreed to extend court oversight via an independent compliance monitor through 2025.

Musicians and venues have complained for years that the company enforces anti-competitive contract terms that, for example, make it difficult for an artist being promoted by Live Nation to use a Ticketmaster competitor for ticket sales. The court-appointed monitor overseeing the company’s compliance with the settlement has been fielding a steady stream of complaints about the company’s business practices over the last several years, according to a person with knowledge of the complaints.

The company came under fire this week when its system was unable to handle the overwhelming demand for Swift concert tickets. Swift, however, is using Ticketmaster rival AEG to promote her tour.

Any legal action against Live Nation by the DOJ is not imminent, said the people with knowledge of the probe. However, if a lawsuit is ultimately filed, the department could potentially seek a break up of the company, the people said. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who heads up the DOJ’s antitrust division, has said repeatedly that he prefers to litigate rather than settle enforcement actions, and has indicated a preference for so-called structural remedies, such as separating lines of business, rather than behavioral fixes, which include promises not to engage in certain types of conduct.

The DOJ is not the only entity investigating the company. This week attorneys general in both North Carolina and Tennessee have announced probes, and multiple lawmakers including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who heads up the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, have called for hearings and investigations.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
Saudi Arabia Pauses Major Stretch of ‘The Line’ Megacity Amid Budget Re-Prioritisation
Saudi Arabia Launches Instant e-Visa Platform for Over 60 Countries
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Trump at White House on November Eighteenth
Trump Predicts Saudi Arabia Will Normalise with Israel Ahead of 18 November Riyadh Visit
Entrepreneurial Momentum in Saudi Arabia Shines at Riyadh Forward 2025 Summit
Saudi Arabia to Host First-Ever International WrestleMania in 2027
Saudi Arabia to Host New ATP Masters Tournament from 2028
Trump Doubts Saudi Demand for Palestinian State Before Israel Normalisation
Viral ‘Sky Stadium’ for Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Debunked as AI-Generated
Deal Between Saudi Arabia and Israel ‘Virtually Impossible’ This Year, Kingdom Insider Says
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Washington While Israel Recognition Remains Off-Table
Saudi Arabia Leverages Ultra-Low Power Costs to Drive AI Infrastructure Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Poised to Channel Billions into Syria’s Reconstruction as U.S. Sanctions Linger
Smotrich’s ‘Camels’ Remark Tests Saudi–Israel Normalisation Efforts
Saudi Arabia and Qatar Gain Structural Edge in Asian World Cup Qualification
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
Fincantieri and Saudi Arabia Agree to Build Advanced Maritime Ecosystem in Kingdom
Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Accelerates AI Ambitions Through Major Partnerships and Infrastructure Push
IOC and Saudi Arabia End Ambitious 12-Year Esports Games Partnership
CSL Seqirus Signs Saudi Arabia Pact to Provide Cell-Based Flu Vaccines and Build Local Production
Qualcomm and Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Team Up to Deploy 200 MW AI Infrastructure
Saudi Arabia’s Economy Expands Five Percent in Third Quarter Amid Oil Output Surge
China’s Vice President Han Zheng Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Trade Concerns Loom
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
×