HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has raised concerns about a possible merger of live-music companies Ticketmaster Entertainment and Live Nation and said he may start an investigation.
Blumenthal will discuss a possible probe with other state attorneys general, he said in an e-mailed statement Thursday. Ticketmaster and Live Nation may announce a combination as soon as next week, said a person with knowledge of the discussions.
The person requested anonymity because the talks are private.
Ticketmaster’s possible combination with Live Nation, the largest concert promoter, has drawn criticism after the company’s handling of sales for Bruce Springsteen’s latest tour.
New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., have raised antitrust concerns regarding consolidation in the concert business.
“This experience heightens my concerns about antitrust and consumer protections raised by Ticketmaster’s possible merger with Live Nation,” Blumenthal said in the statement.
Fans trying to buy tickets for Springsteen’s tour were directed by Ticketmaster’s main website to a company-owned Internet reseller, where prices were hundreds of dollars above face value.
Merger talks between the companies were reported Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal.
