Colorado Files Lawsuit Against Two of the Biggest Ticket Sellers

It’s early in the year, and Colorado has already looked to hold different institutions accountable for some possible shady dealings.

Back in February, Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit to try and stop the Kroger and Albertsons merger. He cited that the merger would likely get rid of competition in the area and drive up prices.

In another instance, Colorado Representative Naquette Ricks (D-Aurora) challenged hidden fees in the state. The bill looked to force companies to tell customers what the hidden fee is for, which is something that wasn’t required in the past. 

In terms of hidden fees, one of the biggest and most notorious abusers of this tactic is ticket selling companies.

However, Colorado along with many other states are looking to put an end to a possible monopoly that is essentially robbing their customers blind.

Colorado and 28 Other States Join a Department of Justice Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster and Live Nation

One of, if not the biggest ticket selling companies, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, are coming under intense heat from both the Federal and State level.

The DOJ started a lawsuit that now has the backing of 28 different states and Washington D.C. that claims that the Live Nation and Ticketmaster merger that happened back in 2009 constitutes a monopoly.

To be fair, they definitely have a point.

Because of the merger, Live Nation can own or buy exclusive rights for a venue, and sell tickets through Ticketmaster at exorbitant prices. Since there aren’t too many alternatives, they can sell tickets at higher prices, with many saying this is unethical and unnecessary price gouging.

When it comes to these agreements between Live Nation and venues, venues also are completely at the whim of the company.

According to Westword and the Lawsuit, Ticketmaster is, almost unbelievably, eight times larger than AXS, their largest competitor. That means Ticketmaster takes up 60% of all contracts and 75% of all sales for concerts.

How Does the Presence of Live Nation and Ticketmaster Affect Coloradans?

Quite a bit, which is why Colorado has joined the DOJ’s lawsuit.

In Fort Collins, Live Nation has contracts with Washington’s, the Coast, and the Aggie Theater.

Oh yeah, and 13 other locations as well. 

In Denver, Live Nation outright owns the Marquis, Summit, and Fillmore Auditorium, along with a truly insane amount of contracts with other venues. 

Do you think Live Nation and Ticketmaster is an illegal monopoly? Have you experienced high prices from a Live Nation and Ticketmaster show? Let us know.