Judge Signals Green Light for Massive Ticketmaster Antitrust Case
So, here’s what’s unfolding right now in the ongoing battle between Ticketmaster, its parent company Live Nation, and millions of frustrated customers. A major step forward has just been signaled in a huge antitrust class action lawsuit, and it could reshape how the live event ticketing world operates.
A U.S. District Judge, George Wu, has indicated that he’s likely to allow this class action to move ahead. This came after a hearing where the judge took the motion for class certification under submission. In simple terms, this means that millions of customers — both those who bought tickets originally and those who purchased resale tickets — may soon be officially recognized as a single group in the lawsuit. The case itself was filed back in January 2022, and it argues that Ticketmaster and Live Nation have built an unfair monopoly over the ticketing industry. Because of that control, consumers say they’ve been forced to pay inflated prices for concerts, sports events, and live entertainment in general.
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Earlier in the process, the court had already suggested that these monopolization claims sounded plausible. The plaintiffs have even argued that Ticketmaster controls roughly 60% of a key submarket in the industry, which is a huge share of power for one company. And if that kind of dominance is confirmed, it could become a major problem for Live Nation in court.
Adding to the pressure, the U.S. Supreme Court made a significant decision earlier this year: it refused to hear Live Nation’s attempt to enforce its controversial arbitration clause. This clause was meant to push consumer complaints out of the court system and into private arbitration — a move that often benefits large corporations. But the Ninth Circuit had already called those arbitration terms “unconscionable,” and the Supreme Court simply let that ruling stand. That left Live Nation exposed to active litigation in federal court.
On top of all that, Live Nation and Ticketmaster are also juggling another separate antitrust case — this one brought forward by the U.S. Department of Justice along with 39 states. That lawsuit is even more sweeping, aiming to break up the two companies entirely. Live Nation tried to slow down the consumer class action until after the government’s case, but Judge Wu wasn’t convinced and denied the request earlier this year. The government’s trial is set to begin in March of next year.
So, with all these legal fires burning at once, Live Nation is facing one of the most intense periods of scrutiny it has ever seen. If this class action is fully certified, millions of customers will be brought together in a single, powerful challenge against the ticketing giant — and the outcome could have a major impact on how we all buy tickets in the future.
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