Louis Messina, CEO of Messina Touring Group and promoter of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, submitted a letter to a federal judge opposing a proposed consent decree in the Live Nation/Ticketmaster antitrust case. Messina argued the settlement would not adequately address what he described as monopolistic conduct in the music industry.
“I write this letter because I am concerned that the music industry is broken,” Messina wrote. “If it is not fixed, I could go out of business just like other independent promoters who have fallen victim to Live Nation.” He stated that a jury verdict finding Live Nation liable on antitrust claims was “a step in the right direction,” but the proposed consent decree was “a step backward.”
Messina alleged that Live Nation stopped returning his calls in 2024, preventing him from routing tours through Live Nation-owned amphitheaters. This affected his work with artists including the Lumineers, Old Dominion, Shawn Mendes and Mumford & Sons, he said. He claimed Live Nation required artists to use the company as promoter to access its venues, effectively blocking independent promoters from competing.
Messina’s touring clients include Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Ed Sheeran, Phoebe Bridgers, Eric Church, Zac Brown Band and Blake Shelton. He noted that most artists and managers avoid speaking publicly against Live Nation for fear of retaliation, but said he was willing to do so because Live Nation had already “turned against” him through his association with rival AEG.
Messina argued that Live Nation’s primary revenue comes from ticketing fees—approximately $1 billion annually—rather than touring promotion, allowing the company to offer guarantees independent promoters cannot match. “Live Nation does not even care if a tour loses money because they are making a billion dollars on the massive ticketing fees,” he wrote.
Variety said it had reached out to Live Nation for comment on Messina’s letter.
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Source: Variety
