DOJ’s suit to breakup Live Nation-Ticketmaster will not lead to lower prices for entertainment

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, alleging anticompetitive behavior. The DOJ lawsuit seeks to use antitrust laws to break up Live Nation.

Director of CEI’s Center of Technology and Innovation Jessica Melugin said:

“It’s likely that what consumers are concerned with – high ticket prices and ticket availability – are products of the inherent scarcity of seeing a popular performer live. Unless the government can clone Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, it’s hard to imagine major changes for concert goers. Adjusting how tickets are allocated by breaking up the vertical integration in this chain may not result in lower prices because you ultimately can’t make more of any one artist.”

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