Live Nation Challenges Guilty Verdict in US Antitrust Case

Live Nation and Ticketmaster are fighting to overturn April 15’s jury verdict that found the companies guilty of violating antitrust laws. The move comes as US states are pushing for Ticketmaster to be split from Live Nation.

The arguments:

• Live Nation and Ticketmaster filed their motions in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on May 21.

• The motions argue that the jury’s decision was unsupported by evidence and influenced by unfair testimony and misleading jury instructions.

• As per Music Business Worldwide, the filings also claim that the plaintiffs focused too heavily on fan frustrations rather than proving harm to venues and artists, which they argue are the real customers in the market.

• They also say the court allowed irrelevant evidence, including internal company messages and European ticketing examples, which unfairly influenced the jury.

Ticketmaster split:

• On the same day that Live Nation’s lawyers filed their motions, a coalition of 33 states and the District of Colombia filed a proposal asking the court to force Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster and sell some of its owned amphitheaters.

UK pressure:

• Meanwhile, in the UK Live Nation is facing mounting regulatory scrutiny, with the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee urging the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s dominance in the region.