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Fanimal Lawsuit: Live Nation Monopoly Crushes Rival
6 Jan
Summary
- New lawsuit alleges Live Nation and Ticketmaster monopoly forced Fanimal out of business.
- Fanimal, a ticketing startup, claims anticompetitive practices led to its closure.
- The DOJ is also pursuing a major antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
A lawsuit filed on December 30, 2025, in federal court alleges that Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s market dominance forced the ticketing platform Fanimal out of business. Fanimal, founded in 2018 with a focus on transparent pricing and group ticket splitting, ceased operations and was sold in 2024, citing the defendants' anticompetitive conduct.
According to the complaint, Fanimal possessed venture capital backing and a user base of over 250,000, but was unable to scale due to Ticketmaster's exclusive contracts with major venues. These alleged exclusive agreements prevented Fanimal from competing for key ticketing opportunities, ultimately hindering its growth and ability to secure further funding.
This litigation follows a pattern of antitrust challenges against Live Nation and Ticketmaster since their 2010 merger. The Department of Justice is slated for trial in May 2026, and consumer class-action lawsuits are also progressing, including one where Taylor Swift fans overcame a dismissal motion in November 2025.
