US Likely To Follow UK Objections On Ticketmaster

RYAN NAKASHIMA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Regulators in the U.K. and U.S. appear likely to impose conditions on the merger of concert promoter Live Nation Inc. and ticket-selling giant Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. now that British authorities came out against the deal Thursday.

The U.K. Competition Commission said that combining Ticketmaster and Live Nation "could severely inhibit the entry of a major new competitor, CTS Eventim, into the U.K. ticketing market." The British regulators have until Nov. 24 to determine what actions to take.

Antitrust experts said the ruling makes it more likely that U.K. and U.S. authorities will coordinate a response. That could mean Ticketmaster and Live Nation will be forced to sell off assets, or forced to sell some concert tickets through a competitor.

Live Nation shares fell nearly 6 percent Thursday, while Ticketmaster shares fell more than 4 percent.

"I think the writing is on the wall that the deal is not going to happen without some fix," said Mark Ostrau, an antitrust lawyer with Mountain View-based Fenwick & West LLP.