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Sen. Scott Wilk’s (R- Santa Clarita) bill to break up the Live Nation/Ticketmaster monopoly is one step closer to a vote on the Senate Floor, after it unanimously passed last night out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“For over a decade Live Nation/Ticketmaster has had a stranglehold on the live entertainment industry, controlling nearly 90% of the market,” said Senator Wilk. “I may be pro-business, but I am not pro-monopoly. My bill is a good first step in busting up their monopolistic practices, so the market can find balance and bring some relief to consumers’ wallets.”
SB 829 would prohibit exclusivity clauses in contracts between a primary ticket seller and an entertainment venue in the state of California. Preventing this clause would provide venues the autonomy to collaborate with other ticket sellers without the fear of retaliation from large ticket sellers.
Live Nation/Ticketmaster has dominated the live entertainment industry since Congress approved their merging in 2010.
Ticketmaster sold 86% of Billboard’s Top 100 Tours in the United States in 2022. Of the total 2,498 shows, Ticketmaster ticketed 2,142 of them.
SB 829 is based on a proposal currently going through the New York legislature, and mirrors what Ticketmaster/Live Nation already did with the government of Ireland in 2020.
The bill’s next stop is the Senate Appropriations Committee.