In news that will surprise absolutely no one who has ever tried to buy a concert ticket only to discover a $14 'convenience fee' on a $20 ticket, Live Nation-Ticketmaster has lost an antitrust case. A jury found the company violated antitrust law on several counts after states brought the case against them. And in true Ticketmaster fashion, the company is not going quietly.
The audacity is, frankly, inspiring
Rather than, say, reflecting on decades of complaints from fans, artists, and venues, Live Nation posted a blog post - a blog post! - warning that the jury verdict 'is not the last word on this matter.' Bold words from a company that charges you a fee to print your own ticket at home on your own printer using your own ink.
According to reporting by The Verge, the company is planning to renew a motion asking the judge to rule against the states directly, arguing that they failed to prove their case 'as a matter of law.' They're also waiting on a separate court decision about whether to throw out testimony from one of the states' expert witnesses, whose analysis they claim influenced the jury's findings.
So what does this actually mean?
In plain English: Ticketmaster lost in front of a jury of regular people - you know, the kind who have also rage-quit a checkout page at 10:03am after tickets sold out - and is now asking the judge to step in and overrule that jury. It's a legitimate legal strategy. It's also extremely on-brand.
The fight over whether Live Nation has used its massive dual grip on concert venues and ticketing to squeeze out competition has been brewing for years. The Department of Justice has separately pushed to break up the company entirely. This state-level jury verdict is a significant moment - but as Live Nation is very eager to remind everyone, it's not over yet.
What fans are probably thinking
Somewhere right now, a person is logging into Ticketmaster, clicking through six screens, agreeing to terms and conditions, and paying a service fee that costs more than the ticket itself. They probably haven't heard about any of this. And even if they had, what's the alternative?
That, right there, is the whole argument.
