Palmetto State News

Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan coalition of 29 states and the District of Columbia in filing an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., which owns Ticketmaster. The lawsuit alleges that these companies have illegally monopolized the live entertainment industry, resulting in increased ticket prices for South Carolina residents.

"Anyone who’s bought tickets to a live event has probably complained about how expensive they were, and we allege that this illegal monopoly has a lot to do with those high prices," Attorney General Wilson stated.

Nearly all major venues in South Carolina are ticketed by Ticketmaster. Live Nation and Ticketmaster influence hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket values within the state, along with associated fees, travel costs, and other expenses.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The DOJ and states claim that Live Nation's practices have stifled competition within the live entertainment sector.

In joining the DOJ’s complaint, Attorney General Wilson is supported by attorneys general from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming