• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Law

Taylor Swift Ticket Fiasco Could Rock Sports As Feds Step In

  • The DOJ is suing Ticketmaster and Live Nation for allegedly monopolizing the live event space.
  • In 2022, Ticketmaster was the primary ticketer for 70% of NBA and NHL arenas, the lawsuit claims.
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

After millions of Taylor Swift fans spent hours fighting “The Great War” on Ticketmaster trying to secure seats to the singer’s Eras Tour, public outcry against the ticketing platform swelled. Now, the Justice Department and 30 state attorneys general have launched a legal attack against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, over claims of monopolizing the live entertainment industry.

The 128-page complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, lays out allegations of shutting out competition through exclusive contracts, presenting conflicts of interest by controlling several steps of the live music process, and creating an environment that could keep prices higher and quality lower than they would be in a free market.

“Without competitive pressure to spur investment and innovation, customer service, website and app design, and product quality and stability suffer,” the suit reads. “These harms are the natural and predictable consequence of an industry suffocating under monopoly.”

The DOJ’s investigation into the company started in 2022, before the Eras Tour fiasco, according to CBS News. But after the high-profile Swift debacle, public heat was on Ticketmaster, and pressure from the Biden Administration led the events giant last year to say it would start including its so-called “junk fees” as part of the actual price instead of the longtime practice of tacking them on at the end of an online purchase. (The Federal Trade Commission has proposed an outright ban on junk fees.) 

Though the lawsuit is primarily focused on live music, sports are a big part of Ticketmaster’s business. Roughly 60–70% of ticket volume on the platform is for sports events, but the concert business makes more money, Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino said in 2021. And in the sports industry, Ticketmaster is king. The company controlled more than 70% of primary ticketing for NBA and NHL arenas in ’22, the suit claims.

The Las Vegas Aces are one example of a team whose tickets are available through the Ticketmaster competitor AXS, which the lawsuit calls the nation’s second-largest primary ticketer. Still, AXS is under one-fifth of the size of Ticketmaster and hasn’t gobbled up a single one of Ticketmaster’s arenas in the past decade, according to the suit.

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”

If the government does break them up, Swift has plenty of songs to help Live Nation and Ticketmaster get through it.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 27, 2022; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and LA Clippers guard Paul George (13) walks down the court during a time out during the first half at Paycom Center.

Pacers, Thunder Both Built Finals Teams Off Trading Paul George

George is a key piece of trivia in this year’s NBA Finals.

Pacers-Thunder Is Lowest-Payroll NBA Finals in Years

Neither team is in the luxury tax, despite rosters with multiple All-Stars.
exclusive

Newly American-Owned Italian Hoops Team Hires Ex-Pelicans Exec as GM

Napoli Basketball is hiring the Pelicans’ former chief of staff as GM.

Featured Today

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
May 30, 2025

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.
May 25, 2025

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detailed view of the basketball sneakers worn by Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) against the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena.

Skechers Sued Over Allegedly Sketchy Go-Private Deal

The footwear giant agreed to be acquired by 3G Capital for $9.4 billion.
May 28, 2025

Arizona Father-Son Duo Plead Guilty to $280 Million Sportsplex Fraud

Randy Miller and his son Chad conned multiple investment firms. 
Zion Williamson
May 30, 2025

Zion Williamson Accused of Rape and Abuse in Lawsuit

The woman says their relationship began when he was at Duke in 2018.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Vince McMahon
May 28, 2025

Former WWE Exec Flips on Vince McMahon in Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Janel Grant and John Laurinaitis announced their settlement Wednesday.
Darin Ruf
May 23, 2025

Darin Ruf Sues Reds Over Career-Ending Knee Injury

Ruf played for five teams across nine major league seasons, hitting .239.
Indiana basketball's Adidas team shoe - January 5, 2025
May 22, 2025

Steve Madden Sues Adidas to Protect Its Own Use of Stripes

Adidas previously sued Steve Madden over trademark issues.
Tennis
May 21, 2025

ATP, WTA Ask Judge to Dismiss ‘Tennis Cartel’ Lawsuit 

The motions were filed late Tuesday and early Wednesday.