NATB Applauds Action of UK Antitrust Enforcer to Block Ticketmaster/LiveNation Merger

NATB Applauds Action of UK Antitrust Enforcer to Block Ticketmaster/LiveNation
Merger

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of
Ticket Brokers (NATB), the non-profit trade association dedicated to
protecting consumers and the secondary ticket market, today released the
following statement applauding the action of the Office of Fair Trading, the
antitrust enforcement agency in the UK, to block the Ticketmaster/LiveNation
merger, and urging US officials to follow their lead.

"It doesn't matter what side of the pond you're on, this merger is harmful to
consumers because it restricts choice and competition in the market," said
Gary Adler, General Counsel to the NATB. "The decision in the UK should serve
as a model for US antitrust enforcers. If the merger violates UK law, it
certainly must violate the law in the US where Ticketmaster is even more of a
dominant force."

"The UK antitrust authorities recognized this merger would lead to higher
prices and less choice for consumers," Adler continued. "They found that
combining these two corporate giants would create an effective stranglehold in
the UK ticketing market - which is exactly what would happen if this merger is
allowed here in the US."

For more information on NATB and consumer protection efforts, please visit
www.NATB.org.

About the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB)
The National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) was formed in 1994 by a
group of leading ticket brokers involved in the sale of sports, concerts and
theater admission tickets, for the purpose of establishing an industry-wide
standard of conduct and to create ethical rules and procedures to educate the
public concerning ticket-brokering services and to serve the primary goal of
the NATB -- promoting consumer protection. All members of the NATB are
dedicated to the principle of assuring the public that dealings with NATB
members are conducted with integrity, reliability and convenience. To this
end, the NATB has created procedures that permit the public to report improper
and unethical conduct by ticket brokers, and to disseminate consumer
protection warnings and guidelines. Through self-governance, the NATB has
provided many enhanced protections for ticket-buying consumers. The NATB has
worked with law enforcement agencies across the country, state and federal
legislators and the NFL and other professional sports leagues and teams, to
accomplish these goals, and has been vital in the NFL's fight against
counterfeit and stolen tickets.

More information about the NATB is available at www.NATB.org.

About NATB's Ticket MarketPlace
NATB offers its "Ticket MarketPlace" site as a resource for the public to
purchase tickets directly from a reliable source. All tickets available on
this site are for sale only by NATB Member Brokers, assuring the consumer that
the tickets being purchased are from a source that provides consumer
protection, confidence, and a written guarantee as provided by the NATB's
strict Code of Ethics.

To access the NATB Ticket Marketplace, please visit www.NATB.com.

SOURCE National Association of Ticket Brokers

Shannon Flaherty, +1-202-347-6762, for NATB