A consumer class action lawsuit accusing Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster of charging artificially inflated ticket prices will move forward in parallel with a federal antitrust case brought by the U.S. government and 39 states, a federal judge has ruled.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge George Wu in Los Angeles rejected Live Nation’s request to pause the proposed class action while the government’s antitrust lawsuit unfolds. The DOJ case, filed in May, aims to dismantle Live Nation and Ticketmaster, claiming they use anti-competitive practices to dominate the live event ticketing market.
The consumer lawsuit, initially filed in January 2022, seeks financial compensation for millions of original ticket buyers and those involved in resale transactions. Both the government’s case and the consumer lawsuit accuse Live Nation of stifling competition through exclusive contracts and other anti-competitive tactics. The class action aims to hold the company accountable for allegedly manipulating ticket prices and creating unfair barriers for consumers.
Live Nation had argued that allowing both cases to proceed simultaneously would waste judicial resources and risk conflicting rulings. The company also sought to have the consumer claims moved to private arbitration, which could have delayed the case. However, a U.S. appeals court in October refused to enforce this arbitration request, allowing the litigation to continue in court.
In a recent ruling, Judge Wu rejected Live Nation’s argument that the government’s antitrust case, scheduled for trial in 2026, was significantly more advanced than the consumer lawsuit. He emphasized that delays in the consumer case were due to the company’s efforts to push for arbitration, not a lack of progress in the case itself.
Live Nation has denied all allegations of wrongdoing in both lawsuits, asserting that its pricing practices are fair and competitive.
The consumer lawsuit, Skot Heckman et al. v. Live Nation et al., is set to continue, with plaintiffs represented by Warren Postman and Albert Pak of Keller Postman, and Kevin Teruya and Adam Wolfson of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Defendants are represented by Roman Martinez and Tim O’Mara of Latham & Watkins.
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