The Scoop: Live Nation vows to keep fighting after antitrust ruling

Plus: Drive-through chatbots arrive at Dairy Queen; Yale blames itself for the growing mistrust in higher education.

A federal jury has determined that Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, have been operating as a monopoly in violation of federal and state antitrust laws.

Live Nation, however, doesn’t believe this means the show’s over.

“The jury’s verdict is not the last word on this matter,” the entertainment company said in a statement.

The letter goes on to say several motions are still pending in the case, including one to strike some expert testimony from the trial.

“Of course, Live Nation can and will appeal any unfavorable rulings on these motions,” the statement added.

Why it matters: During Live Nation’s recent legal troubles, court records showed two employees joking about ripping off fans with extra fees. The phrase “robbing them blind, baby,” was exchanged on Slack.

From the public’s perspective, this is what the case is all about: A big company making it hard for fans to access the artists they love.

Live Nation’s recent statement doesn’t address any of this. There’s no mention of what their customers mean to them or how live music is something special that brings everyone together.

Rather, it calls into question the jury’s decision based on technical matters using legal terms. In other words, it’s not a statement aimed at members of the public who enjoy going to live shows. If this ruling stands on appeal, Live Nation will need to rehabilitate its image as it moves away from its monopolistic stance and persuade people to attend concerts based on the merits, not on being the only game in town. The confidence that the ruling will be overturned ignores this key audience and could further damage Live Nation’s reputation — which could be an issue in a more competitive environment.

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Paul Hiebert is a reporter for PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post The Scoop: Live Nation vows to keep fighting after antitrust ruling appeared first on PR Daily.

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