NY AG says Live Nation, DOJ settlement ‘fails to address monopoly’

New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement on new developments in her ongoing lawsuit against Live Nation (LYV)/Ticketmaster for illegally monopolizing the live entertainment industry: “For years, Live Nation has made enormous profits by exploiting its illegal monopoly and raising costs for shows. My office has led a bipartisan group of attorneys general in suing Live Nation for taking advantage of fans, venues, and artists, and we are committed to holding Live Nation accountable. The settlement recently announced with the U.S. Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers. We cannot agree to it. My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry. We will keep fighting this case without the federal government so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation’s monopoly.” Joining Attorney General James in continuing the lawsuit against Live Nation are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.