UK watchdog opposes ticketing-firms merger

Competition authorities today provisionally ruled against the controversial mega-merger of ticketing giant Ticketmaster with the world’s largest concert promoter Live Nation.

The Competition Commission said the tie-up could lead to higher prices and lower quality of service as it would encourage Live Nation to “inhibit a ”significant potential rival“ from entering the UK market.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation – whose acts include Madonna, Coldplay and U2 - announced the planned merger in February, sparking a competition inquiry in the US.

In the UK, the competition watchdog said it believed a deal would stop the world’s second largest ticketing firm, CTS Eventim, from gaining a foothold.