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UK Committee Calls for CMA Probe Into Live Nation’s Market Power
May25
The UK Parliament’s Business and Trade Committee has concluded that competition concerns in the UK live music industry warrant a full market investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), with the inquiry heavily focused on the market influence and vertically integrated structure of Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiaries, including Ticketmaster.
In a report published following a year-long inquiry, the Committee said the evidence gathered demonstrated that the behaviour of Live Nation and “other vertically integrated companies” was harming competition across multiple areas of the UK live music sector.
The Committee recommended that the CMA launch a priority market investigation before the end of 2026, stating that anything less would be insufficient to fully assess the extent of the alleged competition harms.
The inquiry followed parliamentary scrutiny sessions with Ticketmaster executives in February 2025 and with Live Nation and Ticketmaster representatives in June 2025, alongside 45 written evidence submissions from across the music industry. According to the report, many contributors requested anonymity or confidentiality due to fears of potential reprisals.
The Committee raised concerns about Live Nation’s vertically integrated business model, which spans artist management, promotion, venues, ticketing, sponsorship and advertising. The report stated that the company’s scale and integrated operations can make it difficult for artists and managers to operate independently of its ecosystem, reducing opportunities for independent promoters and venues to access and develop touring artists.
Ticketmaster market share highlighted in report
Among the findings were allegations that Live Nation uses long-term exclusive agreements linking access to festivals and venues, while venues owned or controlled by the company may favour in-house promotion and ticketing arrangements. The report also cited evidence indicating that Ticketmaster controlled 58% of the 23.1 million tickets on sale in the UK in 2025, rising to 66% when affiliate companies were included.
The Committee additionally highlighted concerns over restrictions in secondary ticketing and claims that Live Nation’s integrated structure enables it to subsidise lower-margin activities such as promotion with profits from ticketing and related operations, allowing it to maintain market dominance and offer deals smaller competitors cannot match.
Grassroots sector and independent festivals cited as affected
The report also concluded that the current market structure has had a detrimental impact on the grassroots sector and reiterated support for the proposed levy on arena and stadium tickets previously backed by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and endorsed by the UK Government. The Committee specifically called on the industry — “and Live Nation in particular” — to support the initiative.
Responding to the report, Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) CEO John Rostron said the organisation “fully supports the recommendations” and urged the CMA to move quickly.
“AIF welcomes the committee`s report and fully supports the recommendations in particular the call for the Competition And Markets Authority (CMA) to move speedily to conduct a priority investigation into the live music industry to improve market functioning and deliver growth in the UK,” Rostron said.
AIF calls for more industry figures to come forward
Rostron also called for additional government support for the CMA and said the money invested in a full investigation would be recovered through improved market conditions for audiences, artists, promoters and independent festivals.
He further referenced the concerns raised by the Committee around what it described as a “climate of fear” within the sector during the inquiry process and thanked AIF members and festival operators who contributed evidence to the inquiry.
“There is still a long way to go. Now is the time for others to come forward,” Rostron said. “Together we can bring about change for a fairer, more equitable, more nourishing and more independent live music ecosystem.”
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