BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – A seismic shift could be coming in the entertainment industry after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, accusing the company of acting like a monopoly.
P.J. Spraggins is a Birmingham-based drummer, composer, and producer. He’s played gigs all over the world. He’s also an avid concert goer, and like many, has had to deal with sky high ticket prices.
“I understand paying everybody that’s involved like musicians, stage hands, stuff like that, but you have these fees that are outrageous and you don’t know where they’re going,” Spraggins said.
The Department of Justice has questions as well. It’s now suing Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation, accusing the company of abusing its industry dominance to over-charge concert goers.
“It is time for fans and artists to stop paying the price for live nation’s monopoly. It is time to restore competition and innovation in the entertainment industry,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said.
The result could mean lower prices for your favorite concerts and events, which is music to Spraggins ears.
“You want people to be able to have access to fun stuff like that concerts, any kind of entertainment that’s fun and family based. Inflation is high right now so we need those ticket prices to come down so people can continue to have a good time,” Spraggins said.
In addition to the DOJ, 30 state and district attorneys general are joining this antitrust lawsuit. Live Nation called the DOJ’s allegations baseless and said the lawsuit won’t solve the issues that fans care about relating to ticket prices.
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