U.S. Senate Subpoenas Live Nation After Company 'Stonewalls' Document Requests in Consumer Practices Investigation
The U.S. Senate has issued a subpoena against Live Nation and Ticketmaster following allegations of non-compliance with an ongoing investigation into their business practices.
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Senator Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, announced the subpoena, citing Live Nation's alleged "stonewalling" of document requests dating back to March. The subpoena demands information about ticket pricing, fees, and resale practices.
This action follows Live Nation's recent announcement of its "biggest quarter ever" and comes amid an ongoing Justice Department antitrust investigation into the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger.
Live Nation EVP Dan Wall contested the stonewalling allegations, stating the company has:
- Produced nearly 10,000 pages of documents
- Shared over 2,000 emails
- Provided dozens of commercial agreements
- Cooperated with the investigation for months
Wall explained that the impasse centers on the protection of "highly sensitive client information," including artist tour earnings. He noted that Live Nation requested standard confidentiality protections, which the Subcommittee declined to provide.
The timing coincides with an intensifying DOJ antitrust investigation, though Live Nation CFO Joe Berchtold downplayed these developments during the company's Q3 financial report.
Background context includes:
- A January congressional hearing where Live Nation executives faced bipartisan questioning
- The controversial Taylor Swift Eras Tour pre-sale issues
- Ongoing scrutiny of the company's market dominance
- The proposed Unlock Ticketing Markets Act, co-sponsored by Senator Blumenthal
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