Christopher BarrettLive Nation’s dominant position in the UK live music industry is expected to come under further scrutiny, with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reportedly gathering evidence ahead of a market investigation.
According to a report in The Times, the CMA has contacted industry professionals, including Live Nation critics, to set up meetings ahead of an expected investigation into the live music sector.
In May, the Business and Trade Committee called on the CMA to launch a full market investigation into the live music industry before the end of this year, after becoming alarmed by the “climate of fear” around dominant firms operating in it.
The Trade Committee’s report on Competition and Market Functioning in the UK Live Music Industry, involved a call for written evidence that elicited 45 submissions. It said that a significant proportion of respondents requested to submit anonymously for fear of reprisal.
On the back of its reported calls for meetings, a CMA spokesperson said it will submit a response to the Business and Trade Select Committee on the recommendations in its report in due course: “As set out in our written submission to the Committee’s inquiry, we are giving active and careful consideration to undertaking markets work in this area.”