F-bombs and a vanishing Billie Eilish concert: Ex-arena exec describes Live Nation ‘retaliation’
A planned billie eilish concert was moved off Barclays Center after the arena ditched Ticketmaster for SeatGeek, former Barclays CEO John Abbamondi told a federal jury on Wednesday (ET). Abbamondi said Ticketmaster “pulled up the drawbridge” and Live Nation then retaliated, moving or cancelling Live Nation-promoted shows and cutting Barclays’ annual concerts from more than 20 to fewer than eight. The testimony came as the Justice Department’s antitrust trial against Live Nation began on Tuesday (ET), centering on claims the company punished venues that refused exclusive Ticketmaster deals.
Barclays testimony and the vanishing Billie Eilish concert
Abbamondi testified that Barclays Center, the 18, 000-seat arena that hosts events ranging from Disney on Ice to major touring artists, booted Ticketmaster in October 2021 (ET) and moved to SeatGeek. He said Ticketmaster refused to assist the transition and that Live Nation retaliated by reducing the number of Live Nation-promoted concerts at the arena. Abbamondi singled out a moved show as what he called “smoking gun” evidence: a Live Nation-promoted billie eilish date that was shifted from Barclays to the USB Arena near JFK Airport in Queens, and that an Eilish manager told one of his executives it was “Live Nation’s decision. ” Abbamondi recounted receiving a cautionary text months earlier from Patti Kim, a Live Nation vice president, warning him to consider “the bigger relationship with Live Nation, ” an exchange he noted was signed with “a winky face emoji. ” He also described a phone call where Joe Berchtold, Live Nation’s Chief Financial Officer, used profanity and told him “it was going to be difficult to put concerts in Barclays Center. “
Immediate reactions from the DOJ and defense
The Justice Department and 40 state attorneys general brought the antitrust suit in 2024 (ET), alleging Live Nation uses its combined roles as promoter, ticket seller, and venue owner to stifle competition. At the trial opening, DOJ attorney David Dahlquist said, “This case is about power. The power of a monopolist to control competition, ” and argued that venues face retaliation if they stop using Ticketmaster. The court has already narrowed parts of the government’s claims: U. S. District Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed allegations that Live Nation monopolized concert promotions and bookings, while other claims remain. Live Nation defense attorney David Marriott countered that the company brings joy through live music and argued the market contains more competition than the government portrays, noting the company does not promote every major artist and pointing to examples outside their control.
What’s next and why the Eilish example matters
Abbamondi is expected to testify further about the Barclays-SeatGeek switch later in the trial schedule (ET), and jurors will weigh whether the moved Billie Eilish date and the drop in Live Nation-promoted shows at Barclays reflect an unlawful pattern of retaliation. The government will press claims that Live Nation pressured venues into exclusive ticketing deals and bought competitors to block entry, while the defense will continue to argue there is meaningful competition in the market. The Eilish concert cited by Abbamondi has become a focal point in the trial’s narrative about leverage and consequences when a major venue parts ways with Ticketmaster, and witnesses and documents now on the stand will determine how persuasive that example is to the 12-person jury as the case unfolds (ET).
