MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
This week, a federal jury found that Live Nation, the company that owns Ticketmaster, has operated as a monopoly - a monopoly that has harmed consumers and overcharged ticket buyers. The verdict came Wednesday in New York City. It is a victory for Washington, D.C., and 33 states, including California. The attorney general of California joins us now. Rob Bonta, welcome.
ROB BONTA: Thank you for having me. Honored to be with you.
KELLY: Why was it important for California to be part of this case?
BONTA: Biggest state in the nation. So many consumers and fans who have interacted with Ticketmaster and had that experience probably so many people listening to us right now have had where the quality is terrible, the prices seem so high, something seems fishy. And we wanted to make sure we were standing up for everyday people, especially as they confront one of the biggest challenges that they are talking about right now, which is affordability. When it comes to antitrust enforcement, we are talking about affordability.
KELLY: NPR reached out to Live Nation for comment. They pointed us to a statement, quote, that "the jury's verdict is not the last word on this matter." And this statement also adds that Live Nation could and would appeal any unfavorable rulings, which, from their perspective, this clearly is. So I'll note that, that this may not be quite over yet. I'll also note the judge still has to map out next steps in terms of penalties and other matters. What would you like to see happen?
BONTA: Sure. Let me first say that on the jury verdict, it couldn't have gone worse for Live Nation. In 11 pages of a jury verdict form, the jury found on every question against Live Nation, so it is a complete loss for Live Nation and a complete win for fans and the economy and affordability. The jury decided on the first issue that we have presented, which is the liability issue, and it was a complete victory for the states.
Next is the remedies issue, and a judge will decide that, as you mentioned. And it could take a number of different forms. It could be some significant amount of monetary damages that would be paid, including monetary payments that would go back into the pockets of fans who were victimized by Ticketmaster's and Live Nation's unlawful conduct and their overcharging. It could also include some behavioral remedies where, going forward, Ticketmaster and Live Nation are prohibited from engaging in certain types of conduct, like the way they were leveraging the venues and the way they were leveraging the artists. And finally, it could include a structural change or changes, including breaking up the monopoly, which we have asked for. We have asked that Ticketmaster...
KELLY: So separating Ticketmaster and Live Nation?
BONTA: That's right. Separate them.
KELLY: Yeah. I was struck by one other thing in your statement, which was you sound happy that this was red and blue states that came together to bring this suit. How hard was that, to bring that about?
BONTA: (Laughter).
KELLY: And do you see a model there that could apply in other cases?
BONTA: I am happy about that. It's a sign of maybe better days ahead. Obviously, red and blue states don't always work together on everything, but the fact that we could work on this, I was really gratified by that - you know, the common goal of making sure the rules of the road of a free market are followed and that corporations aren't acting illegally and unlawfully to hurt our people. Antitrust has long been an area where there has been bipartisan support and collaboration and partnership. I hope that will continue. We have other cases where we will see if it will continue.
KELLY: Before I let you go, Rob Bonta, let me change gears and quickly ask about Paramount Skydance's expected takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. As you know, it's now more than 3,000 actors and directors and producers and others have signed an open letter opposing that takeover. And that open letter notes that you other state attorneys general are considering legal action to try to block it. Can you share what the latest is?
BONTA: Yes. We are in the middle of a complete and intensive, vigorous review and investigation. We've publicly announced that. We have made it clear that this is not a done deal, this proposed merger, that regulatory scrutiny has not been passed yet.
KELLY: What would tip the balance for you as you look and investigate? Because this is expected - the merger is expected to go through later this year.
BONTA: Yes. No, we realize that and we're prepared to act in a timely way if we do decide to act. But we're looking at the things you'd expect us to look at when you do an antitrust analysis. We're looking at potential for increased prices, for job losses, for lower wages for workers, for less choice, quality, competition. We're worried about all those things, and we're talking to the stakeholders who are - stand to be impacted by this, the - you know, the actors and those who work on the sets and the producers, the writers. All of those impacts that we're hearing directly from them are very relevant to us as we do our antitrust analysis.
KELLY: Rob Bonta is attorney general for the state of California. Thanks so much for joining us.
BONTA: Thank you so much for having me.
KELLY: And I want to note that Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount+ are financial supporters of NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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