TicketMonster, March Madness: Amid Antitrust Trial Live Nation Ticketmaster Controls Most of March Madness Inner City Press Finds - more here

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by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 16 – As the Live Nation and Ticketmaster antitrust trial re-started on March 16, after US DOJ - and, so far, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota - settled, basketball came up. While Live Nation’s lawyer Marriott brought up $10,000 Knicks tickets offered by AEG, and to the Big East tournament, Inner City Press has endeavor to find out which of the NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness venues are controlled by Ticketmaster.
Here subject to crowdsourcing is what we’ve come up with:

Ticketmaster bills itself as the place to get “Verified Tickets” for March Madness from the First Four through the Final Four.

Ticketmaster Venue by venue:

First Four — Dayton (UD Arena): Ticketmaster

First/Second Rounds (March 19-21): Buffalo — KeyBank Center: Ticketmaster is the official marketplace of KeyBank Center. Ticketmaster Business

Greenville — Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing partner of Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Bonsecoursarena Oklahoma City — Paycom Center: Ticketmaster and AXS are the only official ticketing companies associated with Paycom Center. Paycom Center (split)

Portland — Moda Center: Ticketmaster is the official ticketing partner for the Moda Center. Moda Center

First/Second Rounds (March 20-22): Tampa — Benchmark International Arena: Ticketmaster ✅ Philadelphia — Xfinity Mobile Arena: Ticketmaster St. Louis — Enterprise Center: Ticketmaster San Diego — Viejas Arena: AXS is the authorized ticket provider for Pechanga Arena San Diego Pechanga Arena San Diego — but the tournament is at Viejas Arena (SDSU campus), not Pechanga. Viejas uses Ticketmaster.

Regionals: Houston (Toyota Center), San Jose (SAP Center), Chicago (United Center), Washington DC (Capital One Arena) — all Ticketmaster

Final Four & Championship — Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium): Ticketmaster

So, while Live Nation/Ticketmaster is on trial in SDNY for monopolizing live entertainment, Ticketmaster is the official ticket seller for virtually every March Madness venue — Dayton, Buffalo, Greenville, OKC, Portland, Tampa, Philly, St. Louis, San Diego, Houston, Chicago, DC, Indianapolis. The monopoly, in action, during its own trial.

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