The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims that Live Nation has abused its huge market power to stifle competition, including through the use of exclusive ticketing contracts that lock venues into using Ticketmaster for all events.
The DOJ had already launched an investigation into the company’s practices earlier in 2022, prior to the Swift incident. But the botched presale sparked Congressional hearings, civil antitrust lawsuits, and calls to break up the company. Lawmakers like Sen. Amy Klobuchar , the chair of the Senate subcommittee for antitrust issues, warned that Live Nation’s power “insulates it from the competitive pressures that typically push companies to innovate and improve their services.