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Live Nation-Ticket Master Merger Moving Forward

The Department has tentatively approved the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, providing certain conditions are met. The conditions are part of a settlement of an antitrust suit which was filed to stop the merger.

Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney said Ticketmaster must license its ticketing software to its major competitor Anschutz Entertainment Group, and must sell off its ticketing subsidiary Paciolan to within 60 days to Comcast Spectacor, which has already signed a letter of intent to purchase the unit, or to another suitable buyer.

The merged entity would also have to submit to a 10-year court order barring it from retaliating against venues that sign pacts with competing ticketing firms.

Varney said, "The Department of Justice's proposed remedy promotes robust competition for primary ticketing services and preserves incentives for competitors to innovate and discount, which will benefit consumers."

After the deal is approved by the court, the merger will create the largest entity of its kind in the U.S. music business, from ticketing to venues. Many people think that's a very bad idea, hence the antitrust suit.

Posted on January 25, 2010

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