After a high-profile antitrust lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday that it has tentatively settled with Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation.
After merging in 2010, the combined Live Nation and Ticketmaster control the majority of ticket sales and venue bookings in the U.S., leaving talent little choice but to work with these companies. Customers have been fed up for years with dynamic pricing issues that can drive up ticket costs by thousands of dollars (often without consulting the artists), as well as the process of buying tickets — the sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour were so widely aggravating that they triggered government scrutiny.
According to the AP, the settlement would have Live Nation pay a fine of up to $280 million and divest at least 13 venues to give competitors more opportunity. But several states’ Attorneys General involved in the lawsuit are not appeased by the settlement.
It is absolutely viable to live your entire life without going to a live event. This isn’t anywhere on the pyramid of needs. “Only game in town” only applies for needs.
That said, I don’t buy the idea companies should be able to do whatever the hell they want. It’s bad for EVERYTHING long term. Companies are like an animal that will eat until its stomach explodes without being stopped.
I would argue that entertainment is a basic human right and that making it too expensive to enjoy any live music should be illegal.
The point of this monopoly suit was that TM owned so many venues that they weren’t just making T-swifty tickets too expensive. They were making tickets to every artist out there too expensive. They would also blacklist artists who tried to use independent venues. That is restricting something important to mental health to only those who can afford it.k
So, based on your argument, airlines should be able to form monopolies? You don’t need to fly anywhere.
Automakers? You aren’t required to drive anywhere. Just use uber/lyft/walk.
You are right, lower class people don’t deserve entertainment. /s
Antitrust laws exist for a reason.