On Jan. 25, after 11 months of waiting, Ticketmaster and Live Nation received the approval of the U.S. Department of Justice to consummate their merger to form Live Nation Entertainment.
At first blush it looked like a merger that the DOJ would block. Ticketmaster dominated the U.S. ticketing market for more than a decade, winning the enmity of millions of consumers through excessive service charges (ironically titled "convenience fees") and demonstrating its skill at manipulating supply and driving up prices.
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