Live Nation CEO urged by frustrated judge to settle with states after stunning deal with feds: tickle on the wrist | Latest Tech News
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and his staff confronted a frustrated federal judge in court on Tuesday after his company reached a stunning settlement with the Justice Department over claims that it illegally dominates the live event industry.
During a roughly hour-long listening to, US District Judge Arun Subramanian requested the Live Nation boss to stay in New York and work to attain phrases with the remaining members of the coalition of 40 state attorneys normal who haven’t signed the settlement. He also reminded Rapino and Live Nation’s legal professionals that they had been legally sure by the settlement’s phrases.
Live Nation government Dan Wall solid doubt on the firm’s skill to attain a settlement with the states.
“The probability of us resolving this is about zero,” he said.
“Not with that attitude,” the judge retorted.
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino was back in court on Tuesday. REUTERS
Subramanian said the states must be prepared to continue the case by Monday if they had been unable or unwilling to settle. A committee of six plaintiffs – New York, California, Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Washington, DC – will lead talks for the remaining events. So far, only a handful have indicated they are going to be part of the DOJ settlement.
The judge reiterated his displeasure over how Live Nation’s attorneys dealt with the settlement. While a deal between the DOJ and Live Nation was signed by last Thursday, the case still proceeded to trial the next day.
In an odd twist, lead Justice Department attorney David Dahlquist said earlier this week that he didn’t obtain the time period sheet with particulars about the settlement until around the same time Monday the judge was informed.
After the settlement was announced that day, a livid Subramanian said Live Nation’s handling of the scenario “shows absolute disrespect for the court, for the jury, for this entire process, and it is entirely unacceptable.”
“The judge was pretty pissed that they wasted the court’s time,” a live leisure industry source said.
Representatives for the DOJ and Live Nation didn’t immediately reply to a request for remark.
Some critics blasted the Live Nation settlement was too weak to decrease ticket costs. REUTERS
The DOJ and a coalition of more than three dozen state AGs had alleged that the 2010 merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation has stacked the deck against rivals and led to sky-high ticket costs at live shows and sporting occasions.
Live Nation dodged a potential breakup in the proposed settlement. The time period sheet called for Ticketmaster to cap its service charges at its amphitheaters at 15%, open up reserving at 13 amphitheaters to rivals and place a four-year restrict on exclusivity offers between Ticketmaster and particular venues.
Live Nation will also create a $280 million fund to settle state claims.
Critics allege that the settlement was a sweetheart deal that gained’t consequence in decrease costs for concertgoers.
“A slap on the wrist is even too strong of a characterization of this agreement,” the live leisure industry source said. “It’s more like light tickle on the wrist.”
“Without the breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, there isn’t going to be a meaningful difference in ticket prices,” the source added.
A federal judge urged Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino to work on a settlement with remaining states. REUTERS
Elsewhere, Brian Berry, government director of the Ticket Policy Forum, said “it seems the DOJ has capitulated” and that the “only winners are Live Nation shareholders and the company’s lobbyists.”
“After a strong first week at trial, it appears the DOJ has once again failed to protect live event fans and market competition with a settlement that will equate to less than a speed bump for the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly,” Berry said.
Rumors about a potential settlement swirled for weeks before the trial. Those rumblings accelerated after DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater resigned from her post last month amid disputes over how the company ought to deal with major instances.
Live Nation tapped former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway to help negotiations on a settlement. Meanwhile, Trump ally Ric Grenell was added last yr to Live Nation’s board of administrators.
In a assertion on Monday, Rapino said the settlement “marks a major step in improving the concert experience for artists and fans throughout the United States.”
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