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New Mexico joins federal civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation-Ticketmaster
FILE - In this May 11, 2009 file photo, Ticketmaster tickets and gift cards are shown at a box office in San Jose, Calif. Live Nation is investigating a data breach at its Ticketmaster subsidiary, which dominates ticketing for live events in the United States. Live Nation, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., said in a regulatory filing Friday, May 31, 2024, that on May 27 "a criminal threat actor'' offered to sell Ticketmaster data on the dark web. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
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New Mexico has joined a federal lawsuit against Live Nation-Ticketmaster.
The subsidiaries of Live Nation Entertainment, a multinational entertainment company that promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment, is accused in the lawsuit of monopolizing markets across the live concert industry. Live Nation-Ticketmaster handles ticket sales for several event spaces around New Mexico including Isleta Amphitheater, Kiva Auditorium, the Rio Rancho Events Center in Rio Rancho, and New Mexico State University’s Pan American Center in Las Cruces.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced on Monday that the state would join fellow attorneys general of Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Louisiana, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont, as well as 29 other states and the District of Columbia in a civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department, according to a news release from the New Mexico Department of Justice.
“Joining this litigation reaffirms our commitment to protecting consumers and ensuring a level playing field in the marketplace,” Torrez said in a statement. “The monopolistic practices of Live Nation-Ticketmaster have harmed not only the live entertainment industry but also the countless fans who deserve fair access to events. By holding this company accountable, we are standing up for the rights of New Mexicans and millions of Americans who have been unfairly impacted by these anticompetitive actions.”
In addition to monopolization, the lawsuit claims Live Nation-Ticketmaster participated in other unlawful conduct in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, according to the news release. The U.S. antitrust law protects free competition among those engaged in commerce and prohibits unfair monopolies.
The Justice Department and its expanded group of 40 co-plaintiffs filed the amended complaint in the Southern District of New York, according to the news release. The complaint alleges additional details about Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive course of conduct in markets across the live entertainment industry.
“There is nothing new in the amended complaint — the lawsuit still won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows. We look forward to sharing more facts as the case progresses,” according to a Live Nation Entertainment statement.
