Ticketing Startup Fanimal Files Antitrust Suit Targeting Live Nation–Ticketmaster

Collapsed ticketing startup Fanimal has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging they used anticompetitive tactics to keep it out of the market.

Backstory:

• Los Angeles headquartered Fanimal was founded in 2019.

• As per The Ticketing Business, it was a “social group ticketing platform” that enabled fans to create a group to buy multiple tickets, with each person able to pay for their own.

• It closed in 2024.

The lawsuit:

• In a lawsuit filed on December 30 with the US District Court for the Central District of California, Fanimal alleges that Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s long-term agreements with venues blocked it from competing fairly for events and large concert venues.

• As per The Ticketing Business, it also alleges anticompetitive conduct such as “tying, leveraging, threats to venues and refusals to deal.”

The DOJ case:

• Live Nation and Ticketmaster are also facing an antitrust lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice, which its lawyers recently filed a motion to dismiss.