Live Nation fights back, calls DoJ claims thin
Live Nation has requested a summary judgment to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice. In a legal memorandum, the company’s attorneys argued that the government’s case relies on improperly defined markets and a lack of evidence demonstrating monopoly power. They contended that the Justice Department artificially inflated Live Nation’s market share by excluding larger venues from its analysis, a figure that reportedly drops significantly when all stadiums are included.
The filing further stated that Ticketmaster has lost substantial market share since its 2010 merger with Live Nation, which the company claims is inconsistent with possessing monopoly power. Live Nation’s legal team also challenged the allegation that it coercively bundles services, asserting that venues prefer exclusive ticketing contracts and that the government’s leverage claims are based on inadmissible hearsay. The motion represents the company’s effort to end the litigation without a full trial.
