Congress Members Call on Biden to Investigate Live Nation
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Bulletin YOUR DAILY ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE APRIL 20, 2021 Page 1 of 23 INSIDE Congress Members Call on Biden to • MLC Collects Investigate Live Nation $40M for January, Makes First Rights BY TAYLOR MIMS Holders Payments Five members of Congress sent a letter to members of the last 10 years by threatening venues and forcing • Bad Bunny’s 2022 the Biden administration on Monday (April 19) asking the bundling of artists with ticketing services. In 2019, Concert Tickets Setting Records On them to investigate Live Nation’s “potentially unfair, Live Nation reached a settlement with the DOJ’s an- Scalper Sites deceptive, and anticompetitive practices.” titrust division agreeing to extend the 2010 consent In the letter addressed to U.S. Attorney Gen- decree governing the merger of Ticketmaster and • Here’s How eral and Federal Trade Commis- Live Nation to 2025 and clarifying rules regarding ’Fearless (Taylor’s Merrick Garland Version)’ Performed sion acting chair Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, U.S. threats and retaliation against venues that don’t sign In Its First Week Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Frank Pallone Jr. (D- with the ticketing giant. Compared To Taylor NJ), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D- “We believe the prior administration’s decision Swift’s Original IL) and David Cicilline (D-RI) urge the Biden to extend the consent decree in 2019 to 2025 was ‘Fearless’ Administration to take a stronger hand of antitrust insufficient to protect consumers,” Monday’s letter • Lil Wayne Signs enforcement in the live events ticket marketplace, reads. “In its decision, DOJ did not demonstrate why With UTA in All Areas particularly in its oversight of the longtime Live extending the consent decree with only minor modifi- Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly. cations would prevent [Live Nation] from continuing • Apple Will Allow Podcasters to Offer The members of Congress suggest evidence that anticompetitive conduct. Rather than double-down Subscriptions to Fans the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster has on a failed approach, DOJ must now take steps needed “strangled competition in live entertainment ticket- to restore competition to the ticketing marketplace.” • Jim Steinman, Rock ing” is “overwhelming” and has harmed consumers. Live Nation has declined to comment on the letter Legend Behind Hits for Meat Loaf, Bonnie The letter points to a 2018 Government Account- from the representatives. Tyler & More, Dies ability Office report, which concluded that Live The letter comes at a time when the general atti- at 73 Nation holds more than 80% of the U.S. venue ticket tude towards entrenched economic power is shift- sales market. It goes on to add that the Department ing away from conglomerates like Live Nation and of Justice has found that the promoter has repeatedly Biden has indicated he may be taking a harder line on violated the terms of the agreement over the course of (continued) TOTAL IMMERSION ESSENTIAL ANALYSIS of the latest business topics and trends formulated to give industry players the competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market. EXCLUSIVE QUARTERLY REPORTS that deliver in-depth, holistic reporting; case studies; and custom data designed to serve the industry. A DEEP DIVE LIBRARY stocked with intelligence on fan data, SUBSCRIBE TO BILLBOARD PRO FOR song catalog sales, TV synchs, Africa’s burgeoning music ACCESS TO NEW REPORTS business and the gaming industry’s embrace of artists. AND THE ARCHIVE Page 3 of 23 IN BRIEF against monopolistic behavior. In March, purchased resale tickets via StubHub or tracing where necessary” and enable social Biden announced his intent to nominate Vivid Seats shut out of the show. Ticket- distancing with an algorithm capable of antitrust scholar Lina Khan for commis- master’s SafeTix technology has since been measuring. It also gives artists more control sioner of the Federal Trade Commission, used for various other events including NFL over their tickets instead of yielding them to whose theories of more aggressive antitrust games and Madonna’s Madame X tour with- the secondary market. enforcement have won over academics, out major issues. As touring returns, the demand for tickets and appointed big tech critic Tim Wu to The SafeTix technology is geared to- is up as seen with Bad Bunny’s El Últi- his National Economic Council to focus on ward preventing fraud by creating unique mo Tour del Mundo tour which sold out in technology and competition on the National barcodes that refresh and prevent resellers record time. According to Billboard report- Economic Council. Sen. Amy Klobu- from selling multiple consumers the same ing, the tour has also seen the highest ticket char (D-MN), a vocal Live Nation critic, is ticket. It is also up not up to Ticketmaster market up in history with secondary sites also releasing a book later this month exam- when the non-transferable feature is used. selling tickets for more than 10-times their ining antitrust in America, called Antitrust: The ticketer provides that option for artists face value. Taking On Monopoly Power From the Gilded and promoters to implement as they deem Read the full letter here: Age to the Digital Age. appropriate. Dear Attorney General Garland and Acting A major concern for the members of The Congress members go on to state that Chairwoman Slaughter: Congress is Live Nation’s growing con- they believes Live Nation will use technol- We write in support of strong antitrust trol over the secondary market. The ogy like SafeTix to make entry safer during enforcement by the Biden Administration, letter highlights the company’s use of and after the pandemic, while also compel- including the live event ticket sales market- its SafeTix technology that prohibits the ling concertgoers to register an account place. The evidence is overwhelming that the release and transfer of tickets outside of with Ticketmaster. The first part could be a 2010 merger between the world’s largest con- Ticketmaster’s platform, effectively shut- good thing, but comes at a cost. “While local cert promoter, Live Nation, and the biggest ting out other secondary ticketing plat- governments should work with local venues ticket provider, Ticketmaster, has strangled forms. SafeTix gives Ticketmaster a major to ensure common sense public health competition in live entertainment ticketing advantage because it grants the company protections for fans, such as mask-wearing and harmed consumers and must be revisited. control over the entire lifespan of the ticket, and social distancing,” the letter states, “we According to the Government Accountabil- from sale to show night, with a digital cannot allow Ticketmaster to leverage the ity Office’s (GAO) 2018 report, Live Nation ledger showing every time the ticket is pandemic to choke off competition by elimi- Entertainment (LNE), holds more than 80 sold or transferred, along with the identity nating ticket transfer.” percent of the venue ticket sales market. The of everyone participating in the transac- Ticketmaster president Mark Yovich says Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held an tion. SafeTix’s non-transferability op- Ticketmaster’s technology like SafeTix and important workshop in 2019 that examined tion was used for the first time in 2019 at Presence could be used to help venues and the ticketing industry and heard concerns on a Black Keys concert at the Wiltern in artists return to concerts with the “ability LNE’s anticompetitive behavior from actors Los Angeles that saw hundreds of fans who to explore integrations to allow contact throughout the industry. These important AUTHORITATIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS 2021 NOEL SCHAJRIS 20TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE Latin Grammy winner, singer, songwriter and pianist Noel CONTACTS Schajris, has sold more than 25 million records and 1 million tickets since his first solo album 20 years ago, some Joe Maimone of his songs and albums had been appeared at the 201.301.5933 | [email protected] Billboard’s top ten charts. 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ISSUE DATE 5/15 | AD CLOSE 5/5 | MATERIALS DUE 5/6 BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 13, 2020 | PAGE Page 4 5 OF of 1923 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] IN BRIEF SamHunt’s Southside Rules Top Country federalA reviews,lbu combinedms; withBrett troubling Yme-oungfor potentially ‘Catc unfair andh deceptive’-es practices.Fifthto Airplay resume. Indeed, the governors of New dia reports and state sponsored reports, show One recent example we are concerned York and New Jersey recently announced the that more canLea be doneder; to investigate Travis poten- aboutDenning is the introduction Makes of a smart phone Historyeasing of restrictions on live events in large tially unfair, deceptive, and anticompetitive ticketing product, known as “SafeTix,” which venues. When live events return in earnest, it practices in the ticket industry. was purportedly created to fight fraud. How- is imperative that consumers have access to a SamSince Hunt the’s merger,second studio we have full-length, witnessed and how first in overever, five LNE years, is Southsideusing this programsales (up to 21%) ensure in the that tracking market week.