The complaint comes with specific quotes from company documents, including in allegations centered on a partnership with onetime competitor Oak View Group, which “has described itself as a ‘hammer’ and ‘protect[or]’ for Live Nation.” In recent years, the complaint said, Oak View Group has avoided bidding against Live Nation when signing artists and influenced venues to sign onto exclusive agreements making Ticketmaster their ticketing provider.
According to the complaint, Live Nation has “scolded Oak View Group multiple times for trying to compete.” That included when Live Nation’s CEO called it “stupid” to allow artists to play the companies against each other.
Live Nation also allegedly locked venues into long-term exclusive contracts.
In addition, the complaint outlines threats of retaliation against would-be concert promotion rivals, as well as the acquisition of competitors and prospective competitive threats, even one in Tennessee called AC Entertainment that Live Nation’s chief strategy officer described as “not super exciting,” in a deal that “feels like more of a defensive move” to “keep [rival] AEG out of the region.”
