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Live National Entertainment: Music Industry Dominance and the Taylor Swift Ticket Debacle
Live Nation Entertainment, a major concert manager, promoter, and ticket agency, faces intense criticism from artists, fans, and regulators after mishandling Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ticket presale. Increasing scrutiny of Live Nation’s business practices and scope of operations raises questions and serious concerns regarding monopolistic power and competition throughout the music promotion and ticketing industry. 15 pp. Case #23-02 (2023)
1. To highlight the conflict when the largest live music promoter negotiates contracts with artists while also operating the largest ticketing platform in the United States;
2. To provide an example of how a vertical merger can create complicated and sometimes questionable situations regarding the merged company’s business practices;
3. To encourage analysis of the merits and criticisms of a vertical merger;
4. To demonstrate the downstream consequences of a corporation that not only holds a majority of market share in an industry but also provides services from multiple points
along the value chain;
5. To encourage discussion regarding the level of responsibility a vertically integrated company has when interacting with various stakeholders.