By Nathaniel Luce
Publication: TIME
A merger between concert promoters Ticketmaster and Live Nation awaits approval by federal antitrust regulators. Critics say the merger could lead to a monopoly within the entertainment industry; proponents say it would enable greater efficiencies. What’s there to like about this merger? The combined company will effectively cut out middlemen, such as independent concert promoters, business managers, lawyers, agents and venue owners who want a piece of the pie, and allow artists to deliver services “quicker, faster, better and cheaper” to its fans, said LUKE FROEB, associate professor at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and a former senior economist with the FTC and Justice Department. From a stock perspective, Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney sees significantly bigger growth than Ticketmaster would enjoy on its own.
