10 states join DOJ lawsuit against Ticketmaster, Live Nation
10 more states are joining the Department of Justice’s anti-trust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation.
Fox – Seattle
Kid Rock is sounding off on the concert retail industry.
The outspoken Grammy-nominated singer testified at the Senate Commerce Committee’s hearing, dubbed “Fees Rolled on All Summer Long: Examining the Live Entertainment Industry,” on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The hearing addressed pricing issues concerning live concert and event fees and bots.
“I’ve been packing arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums with the greatest fans on Earth for over 25 years.” Kid Rock, 55, said. “I’m also a capitalist. … I love live music and sports, and I believe music fans and artists have been getting screwed for far too long by the ticketing system.”
Other key figures who testified included executives from the Ticket Policy Forum coalition, Z2 Entertainment and Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster.
Rock, a friend of the Trump administration, was by the president’s side when he signed an executive order targeting ticket price gouging in March. That order directs the Treasury Secretary and the Attorney General to ensure ticket scalpers comply with the Internal Revenue Service’s tax collections, and directs the Federal Trade Commission to work with the Attorney General to ensure competition laws are enforced.
Live Nation supported the executive order at the time.
The company – an industry power player reportedly controlling roughly 70-80% of major concert and live‑event ticket sales and owning a significant share of venues and concert promotions – is facing a class action suit over alleged overcharging.
Kid Rock blasts Ticketmaster for skyrocketing ticket prices
Rock’s last major solo tour was the Bad Reputation Tour, which ran from April 2022 to July 2023. He is currently a headliner on the Rock the Country Tour, alongside country stars including Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Jelly Roll, with dates through 2026.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Rock, an independent artist, criticized the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation and its impact on the concert marketplace, especially price gouging that has resulted in skyrocketing ticket sales.
“The economic foundation that supported artists in the past is crumbling. Piracy is threatening their livelihood,” Rock said. “The secondary ticketing is driving up prices for the fans with absolutely no benefit to the artists.”
Regarding Ticketmaster, Rock said the company’s “experiment” of merging with Live Nation “has failed miserably,” adding, “Independent venues have been crushed. Artists have lost leverage. Fans are paying more than ever and getting blamed for it.”
Last year, the same Senate committee approved and introduced the TICKET Act, a bipartisan bill that would make it a requirement to display the total event ticket price, including fees, up front. The legislation has not passed the Senate.
In addition to legislation, Rock proposed a 10% price cap on resale tickets to curb pricing, subpoenas on artists’ contracts with ticketing companies and promoters to uncover “fraud and abuse,” and artist-authorized selection of ticket sellers.
“This wasn’t an experiment. It was a monopoly dressed up as innovation,” Rock said. “I’ll close now with the words of one of my favorite rock bands, The Who, and say it is my sincere hope we ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.'”
