Live Nation Responds to ‘Inaccurate and Unbalanced’ ABC Documentary
Live Nation Australasia has fired back at the upcoming Four Corners investigation into its operations, releasing a strongly worded statement calling the program’s portrayal “inaccurate and unbalanced.”
The episode, set to air on ABC on October 14th, is expected to scrutinise Live Nation’s influence over Australia’s live music industry, touching on concerns related to market dominance, artist exploitation, and ticket pricing.
In the teaser for the episode, Four Corners features high-profile criticisms from figures like Peter Garrett, who claims, “I don’t think Live Nation cares at all about Australian artists and they are basically calling the shots,” and rapper Barkaa, who says local acts have been left “begging for scraps.”
Legendary promoter Michael Chugg was similarly direct, stating, “They f**ked it up, basically,” when asked about Live Nation’s entry into the Australian market.
Live Nation’s statement, however, pushes back against these allegations in a statement sent to The Music Network in response to the upcoming episode.
“Despite our best efforts to engage with Four Corners and present them with facts about the live entertainment industry, the promotional video contains a range of falsehoods and unsubstantiated allegations,” the statement reads.
The company asserts that it provided detailed responses to Four Corners’ questions but claims its input was largely ignored in favour of a more sensationalised narrative.
One of the primary points of contention raised in the Four Corners teaser is Live Nation’s alleged control of the Australian live music market. Live Nation was quick to clarify its actual market presence, stating it operates just six of the approximately 2,700 live music venues across Australia—less than 1% of the total market.
“Australia’s live entertainment industry is highly competitive,” Live Nation noted. “We are one of many promoters, with TEG and Frontier among the top. Our investments in artists, venues, and events have enriched Australia’s cultural landscape, creating thousands of jobs.”
The company also highlighted its efforts to support local talent, citing that it has promoted over 900 shows for developing Australian artists since 2016 and has ensured that 85% of its international tours feature local opening acts.
The issue of ticket pricing, a frequent point of criticism in the music industry, was also addressed in Live Nation’s statement.
The company clarified that its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, does not set ticket prices, with those decisions falling to artist teams and event organisers.
“Ticket prices need to compensate touring artists and ensure that Australia continues to attract many of the world’s most popular acts,” the company explained, pointing to rising production and touring costs in the post-pandemic landscape.
In terms of artist exploitation, Live Nation took the opportunity to refute claims about its negative impact on Australian talent.
“Our business thrives on nurturing the next generation of talent, and we offer programs like Ones to Watch to foster emerging artists,” the statement read. The company also reiterated its commitment to grassroots music venues, which play a vital role in the discovery of new talent.
The company noted that it is proud of its work promoting Australian and international talent, stating, “We won’t let this noise detract from doing what we do best—servicing our artists, clients, and fans.”
As Four Corners prepares to air the episode, it’s clear that the debate surrounding Live Nation’s influence in Australia’s music industry is just beginning.
With prominent figures like Garrett, Barkaa, and Chugg speaking out. Whether this will satisfy the critics remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the conversation is far from over.
The Four Corners episode will air on Monday, October 14th, at 8:30 PM AEDT on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Read Live Nation’s statement in full below:
| Statement by Live Nation in response to Four Corners |
| Four Corners on ABC Television has published a promotional video for its upcoming episode this Monday, in what we are expecting is an inaccurate and unbalanced story about Live Nation. Despite our best efforts to engage with Four Corners and present them with facts about the live entertainment industry, the promotional video contains a range of falsehoods and unsubstantiated allegations. To understand the Four Corners agenda, it’s important that you know we provided Four Corners written responses to all of their questions at 5pm on Wednesday 9 October, and three hours later Four Corners posted the promotional video for the program on YouTube. The program was obviously fully formed without any input from Live Nation. On the basis of the promotional video, it’s clear that the program contains inaccuracies, including: Comments from a member of the band Bad//Dreems complaining about their gross from a recent tour and blaming Live Nation for this That tour was promoted by a company called Love Police which is a competitor to Live Nation. Comments about inappropriate use of market power by Live Nation in Australia Australia’s live entertainment industry is highly competitive evident by the fact that Live Nation is one of many promoters with TEG and Frontier among the top, while Ticketek is the largest ticketing agent in the country, and Live Nation operates less than 1% of music venues in the country (6 out of the approximately 2,700 venues). The economics of our business follow the same industry models as these other players. We are proud our Live Nation Australia team is operated by local Australians who live and work here to bring in some of the world’s biggest acts to local fans while championing Australian talent and fuelling growth in the live music sector. Our investments in artists, venues, event organizers, and entrepreneurs have enriched Australia’s cultural landscape and created thousands of jobs. Last year, we promoted over 100 Australian emerging and established artists, and we’ve successfully advocated for local Australian opening acts in 85% of the international acts we promote here. Comments on control and closure of venues There are approximately 2,700 live music venues in Australia. Live Nation operates just six — one in New South Wales, two in Victoria, two in Queensland and one in South Australia – that’s 0.22% of the market. Breaking that down by states, in New South Wales, with about 795 venues, Live Nation makes up 0.126% of the market. While Music Victoria’s 2022 census reports approximately 1,000 live music venues in Victoria, where Live Nation makes up 0.2% of the market. Comments on negative impacts on Australian developing artists Since 2016, Live Nation has promoted over 900 shows for developing artists in venues less than 1,500 pax capacity – reaching more than 556,000 fans. And we’ve successfully advocated for local Australian opening acts in 85% of the international acts we promote here. Our business thrives on nurturing the next generation of talent, and we offer programs like Ones to Watch to foster emerging artists. We recognize the vital role grassroots music venues play in discovering new talent and applaud efforts to support these spaces. As dedicated operators in this space, we’re eager to discuss measures that strengthen the Australian music industry and ensure artists have the opportunity to grow and succeed. Comments on ticket pricing Ticketmaster does not set prices, nor do we have or offer algorithmic surge pricing technologies. Ticketing companies do not control how artist teams and other event organizers price their shows or whether they adjust prices up or down based on demand. However, like other ticketing companies, we have tools to help artist teams understand demand for their tickets. It is the artist teams who decide which tools to use and how to best balance revenue goals with fan access. Artists are increasingly reliant on live music for their livelihood and to support their crew and rising production costs. It’s costly for most international artists to add Australia/New Zealand to their tour, and those costs have dramatically increased after Covid. Ticket prices need to compensate touring artists and ensure that Australia continues to attract many of the world’s most popular artists. Comments on music festivals Live Nation is committed to producing best-in-class festivals across Australia and has strategically postponed events to ensure premium fan experiences when conditions allow. Festivals play a crucial role in driving regional economic benefits, providing cultural value, while also supporting emerging acts with exposure to much larger audiences than would otherwise be possible for them. Our team is actively developing projects to ensure our festivals continue to benefit artists and the industry. While some festivals face challenges with rising costs, we’re confident those with strong locations, talent, and a unique identity will continue to thrive long term in a competitive live entertainment market.” We will continue to work hard to inform and engage with all of our stakeholders as an industry leader committed to the long-term success of the Australian music industry. We won’t let this noise detract from doing what we do best which is servicing our artists/clients and fans. |