A former Barclays Center executive took the stand as the first witness in a federal antitrust trial challenging Live Nation Entertainment’s market power, telling jurors he believes the Brooklyn arena lost out on concerts after ending its ticketing partnership with Ticketmaster.
John Abbamondi, the former CEO of Barclays Center, testified that the venue saw a sharp decline in Live Nation-promoted shows after switching its ticketing provider from Ticketmaster to SeatGeek in 2021. Ticketmaster is owned by Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company.
Federal prosecutors have argued Live Nation operates as a monopoly — serving as concert promoter, venue operator and artist manager — and uses its dominance to stifle competition. The company denies those claims, contending there are other competitors in the marketplace.
During testimony, jurors heard part of a recorded and, at times, tense phone call between Abbamondi and Live Nation executives.
In the call, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino could be heard saying, “it’s going to be difficult to bring shows to Barclays because of the new UBS Arena,” referring to the arena on Long Island that opened in 2021.
Abbamondi told jurors he considered the comment to be a “veiled threat.”
The testimony centered in part on a Billie Eilish concert originally scheduled at Barclays Center in 2020. The show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later rebooked in 2021 at UBS Arena, about 20 miles away in Elmont.
Abbamondi said he believes Barclays’ decision to end its long-standing relationship with Ticketmaster played a role in losing out on certain concerts.
Before becoming CEO of Barclays Center, Abbamondi served as vice president of ticketing, suites and corporate hospitality for the Madison Square Garden Group, which maintains a long-term relationship with Ticketmaster and Live Nation, he testified.
Barclays had maintained a similar arrangement until 2021, when arena leadership opted to switch to SeatGeek, citing better economics and technology.
After the change, Abbamondi said, the number of Live Nation shows at Barclays dropped dramatically. An agreement to secure 25 shows resulted in fewer than 10 between 2021 and 2022, according to his testimony.
The broader case comes as consumers continue to raise concerns about ticket prices and Live Nation’s influence over the live entertainment industry.
The trial is expected to further examine whether Live Nation’s business practices unfairly limit competition and affect how much fans pay to attend live events.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
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