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The National Consumers League (NCL), one of the US\u2019s most established consumer champions, has joined calls for an investigation into Ticketmaster and Live Nation\u2019s control of the nation\u2019s live events marketplace.<\/p>\n
Sally Greenberg, the body\u2019s executive director, has written to the Department of Justice\u2019s Antitrust Division to add its support for the investigation of anti-competitive practices in the live event ticketing industry following a recent intervention from high-profile senators Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the letter, addressed to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, NCL urged the Department to conduct a thorough investigation and \u201cif necessary, take action to ensure market health and consumer protection.\u201d<\/p>\n Greenberg wrote: \u201cThe unfortunate state of the live entertainment marketplace warrants an investigation by the Department\u2014with specific attention to LNE\u2019s compliance with the updated consent decree. The harmful impacts of LNE\u2019s near-monopoly are unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n NCL said that Live Nation Entertainment controls roughly 80% of the US\u2019s primary ticketing market, and said its acquisition of Rival<\/a> in 2020 was further evidence of it seeking to eliminate competition even after its consent decree was updated in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n Greenberg described \u201ctoxic market practices\u201d by which concert attendees, sports fans, theatre patrons, and other live-event goers \u201cmust endure punishing hidden fees\u201d, which on average account for 27% of the ticket\u2019s original value in fees.<\/p>\n \u201cRecent media reports have found fees as high as 78% of the ticket\u2019s starting price,\u201d Greenberg added. \u201cThis is after consumers must contend with scalpers employing illegal ticket-buying \u201cbot\u201d software and other unscrupulous methods in order to even secure their tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n