Louisiana and nine other states are joining the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation, accusing the entertainment company of maintaining a monopoly on live events and driving up ticket prices for consumers.
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont have joined the Justice Department and 29 other states as plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit filed in New York that seeks to break up the company based on allegations that it created an illegal monopoly in the concert industry and used unlawful behavior, such as threats and retaliation, to maintain its control.
The U.S. Department of Justice originally filed the lawsuit in May after artists and fans had been outraged for years over allegedly unfair ticket prices and rising fees.
Things reached a boiling point in 2022 during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour presale, when Ticketmaster’s website crashed as both fans and bots overwhelmed the system, leaving many fans without tickets to the record-breaking national stadium tour, which has since been broadcast worldwide.
Swift added additional tour shows months after the debacle, including three at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, giving fans another chance to see her live. Tickets for the New Orleans shows sold out immediately and are now only available on third-party websites.
The amended complaint filed Monday also included additional details about Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s alleged misconduct, according to the Justice Department.
The full complaint can be found here.
