WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, issued the statement below following the Department of Justice filing a lawsuit against Live Nation alleging the company has violated antitrust laws.
“Consolidation and unlawful conduct in the ticketing market has left buyers with fewer choices and higher prices. The hidden fees, the messed up processes, and the stranglehold on competition has long hurt fans. As a result, the live event entertainment experience has become increasingly out of reach for many Americans,” said Klobuchar. “The Justice Department is doing the right thing today by seeking to break up this monopoly that has long harmed fans, artists, and venues. In addition to holding Live Nation accountable, I’ve also fought to create common sense guardrails to promote healthy competition in the ticketing market, and I will continue to work towards passing my bipartisan legislation that would do just that.”
As Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Senator Klobuchar is a leading voice in the Senate on antitrust enforcement and consumer protection.
In January 2023, Klobuchar held a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the problems in America’s ticketing markets. Klobuchar highlighted the need to promote competition in the ticketing industry to protect consumers.
In February 2023, Klobuchar sent evidence from the hearing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and called on the DOJ to continue examining Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive conduct.
In November 2022, Klobuchar wrote a letter to Live Nation expressing concern about the lack of competition in the ticketing industry and questioning whether the company is taking necessary steps to provide the best service it can to consumers.
In December 2023, Klobuchar and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets, and holding bad actors who engage in illegal ticket sale practices accountable.
In October 2023, Klobuchar wrote a letter to Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino requesting an update on price transparency efforts and highlighted the critical need for an honest consumer experience when purchasing tickets.
In April 2023, Klobuchar and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Unlock Ticketing Markets Act to improve competition in live event ticketing markets by empowering the Federal Trade Commission to prevent the use of excessively long multi-year exclusive contracts that lock out competitors, decrease incentives to innovate new services, and increase costs for fans.
In April 2020, Klobuchar, and Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division to take action to ensure small and independent venues can compete on a level playing field in the live entertainment marketplace. In August 2019, they called on the DOJ Antitrust Division to investigate the state of competition in the ticketing marketplace, given news reports that Ticketmaster-Live Nation was not adhering to the conditions of the antitrust consent decree governing its merger.
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