Senators Fault Ticketmaster ‘Monopoly’ for Taylor Swift Debacle
- Opaque ticket prices includes steep service fees, artists say
- Utah’s Lee questions Ticketmaster’s merger with Live Nation
Joe Berchtold, Jack Groetzinger, Jerry Mickelson, Sal Nuzzo, Kathleen Bradish, and Clyde Lawrence before the Senate Judiciary Committee January 24.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Senators on Tuesday blamed Live Nation Entertainment Inc.’s market dominance for soaring ticket prices and a terrible customer experience — complaints illustrated by the company’s Ticketmaster unit bungling the massive demand for Taylor Swift tickets last year.
Live Nation’s conduct made it “the definition of monopoly,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel said. “Restoring competition to our markets is about making sure that fans get fair prices and better service.”