Changes in the Ticket Distribution Industry: Is This the Beginning of the End for Ticketmaster?

This Note aims to explore the legal underpinnings of consumer frustration with Ticketmaster and the rest of the ticket distribution industry as it moves into the electronic age. First, this Note introduces Ticketmaster and examines its use of exclusive dealing agreements with local venues. It then discusses the relevant federal antitrust statutes affecting the industry and the market in which distributors operate. It also analyzes the role exclusive dealing agreements play in stifling competition. Next, this Note discusses the challenges--both legal and economic--to the industry\u27s most visible member. It then discusses Ticketmaster as a possible product of competition in light of some of the new competitors that have entered the marketplace. Finally, this Note shows Ticketmaster as the aggressor in recent lawsuits against potential competitors and addresses the competing values of short-term price decreases versus a more long-term consumer-friendly market. Lastly, it summarizes the challenges facing the ticket distribution industry and recommends possible avenues for a compromise beneficial to all sides of the debate