Monopoly

In 2010, Ticketmaster, the largest ticketing company in North America, merged with Live Nation, the largest concert promoter and venue owner in North America. The Department of Justice approved the deal with conditions. Within a decade, those conditions had not slowed Live Nation Entertainment from controlling roughly 70% of US concert ticketing. And operating most of the major amphitheaters and arenas were mid-sized acts toured. A new artist building a career has very few real choices. Live Nation owns the venues. Ticketmaster sells the tickets. The fees added to the face value of those tickets, the convenience charges, processing fees, facility fees, and so-called service fees can add 40% or more to the sticker price, sometimes more. Fans paid those fees because the alternative ticket sites had no inventory for the same shows.