BALTIMORE, MD—This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan coalition of 30 states, including Maryland, filed an antitrust lawsuit (PDF) against Live Nation Entertainment (NASDAQ: LCN), which owns Ticketmaster, alleging that the company has abused its monopoly power in the live entertainment market.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims that Live Nation has used its exclusive agreements and threats that venues will lose access to certain artists and tours if they sign with a rival ticketer. The lawsuit also alleges that Live Nation has used its monopoly power to force artists to select Live Nation as their concert promoter, and that the company has harmed fans by charging higher fees and limiting consumer choices. The lawsuit seeks to prohibit Live Nation from engaging in unlawful anticompetitive practices, and to order the company to divest or sell off Ticketmaster.

The DOJ and coalition of states contend that Live Nation has abused its monopoly power in the live entertainment market and has harmed fans seeking to purchase tickets to concerts and sporting events. The lawsuit represents the latest legal action taken against the company, which has been sued by a wide variety of governments, businesses, and consumers over allegations of anticompetitive behavior.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.