- Millions of ticket buyers may be grouped in a class action against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
- U.S. District Judge George Wu took class-certification arguments under submission and appeared receptive to plaintiffs.
- Plaintiffs allege exclusive deals and market control inflated primary-ticket fees since 2010; potential damages could reach billions with trebling.
- Live Nation/Ticketmaster disputes the plaintiffs’ economic model and urges individualized treatment of claims.
Judge takes class-certification under submission
A federal judge in Los Angeles heard arguments this week over whether millions of concertgoers can proceed as a class in an antitrust suit accusing Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster unit of using monopoly power to inflate ticket prices. U.S. District Judge George Wu took the motion for class certification under submission after a hearing that, according to court reporting, suggested he may be likely to grant plaintiffs’ request.
If certified, the class would include all U.S. consumers who directly bought primary tickets and paid ticketing fees for events at major U.S. concert venues through Ticketmaster at any time since 2010. Plaintiffs say the proposed class would cover millions of buyers and give them leverage to pursue a substantial settlement or damages at trial.
What plaintiffs allege
The complaint, filed almost four years ago, alleges Live Nation used exclusive, long-term venue contracts and steep artist deals to lock in Ticketmaster as the dominant seller at large venues. According to the plaintiffs, that dominance allowed Ticketmaster to charge excessive fees in the primary market and to control resale options in the secondary market, forcing consumers and brokers to use Ticketmaster’s systems.
The plaintiffs argue these practices harmed fans across the country in a similar way, making a class action the appropriate route. Under federal antitrust law, any damages awarded to consumers could be tripled, which is why a certified class could expose Live Nation to multibillion-dollar liability.
Live Nation/Ticketmaster pushes back
Counsel for Live Nation and Ticketmaster told the court the plaintiffs failed to show uniform impact across all ticket buyers. Attorney Tim O’Mara argued the plaintiffs’ economic expert ignored key differences — venue size and location, and the varied fee agreements Ticketmaster negotiated with venues — which, he said, undermine the notion that all buyers were affected the same way.
“You need to isolate the anticompetitive conduct,” O’Mara told the judge, warning that broad certification could set a sweeping precedent.
Judge Wu, however, signaled reluctance to decide the reliability of the plaintiffs’ expert at the certification stage. He suggested Ticketmaster could address those issues in pretrial motions instead, noting the class-certification process focuses on whether claims can be managed collectively.
Prior rulings and next steps
Wu previously declined Ticketmaster’s request to force arbitration of the buyers’ claims and rejected the company’s attempt to dismiss the case. With certification now under submission, the next steps hinge on the court’s formal ruling. If the judge grants class status, discovery and settlement talks could intensify, and the potential exposure for Live Nation would grow significantly.
The case is being watched closely by consumer advocates, industry observers and the live-event business, as a class finding could reshape how ticketing disputes are litigated and negotiated in the U.S.
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