NEWS
Ariel Emanuel speaks onstage during Los Angeles LGBT Center's 48th Anniversary Gala Vanguard Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 23, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California.
Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesConcerns about IMG's ownership in a ticketing company that Live Nation had spun off in 2010 led to a Department of Justice request that IMG parent Endeavor's chief executive Ari Emanuel and president Mark Shapiro resign from LN's board of directors, sources tell Billboard.
As part of a consent decree governing Live Nation's merger with Ticketmaster in 2010, the DOJ assistant attorney general for its Antitrust Division Christine Varney required Ticketmaster to sell off Paciolan, a ticketing company it had purchased three years earlier, to Comcast-Spectacor. In 2017, Paciolan was again sold as part of an intra-company transaction to sports marketing platform Learfield IMG College, which Endeavor owns a stake in through its blockbuster purchase of IMG in 2013. Silver Lake and the Comcast-backed Atairos also hold stakes in Learfield with Endeavor.
Emanuel has been on the Live Nation board of directors since 2007 while Shapiro joined the Live Nation board in 2008.
“While there has been no violation of law, we understand and respect the DOJ’s concerns regarding the current similarities of our businesses," a statement from an Endeavor spokesperson reads.
Why the DOJ decided to act now — under the Biden Administration, the DOJ's acting assistant attorney general for Antitrust is career DOJ deputy AG and Distinguished Service Award winner Richard Powers — is unclear. Emanuel had already agreed to resign from the board effective two weeks ago when his final stock awards in the company had vested.
In a release, the DOJ described the ownership issue as an illegal interlocking directorate where "one person – or an agent of one person or company – serves as an officer or director of two companies."
Section 8 of the Clayton Act "prohibits the same person or company from serving as an officer or director of two competing companies, except under certain defined safe harbors."
"Endeavor and Live Nation compete closely in many sports and entertainment markets. Both Live Nation and Endeavor, through its wholly owned and minority owned subsidiaries, promote and sell tickets and VIP packages that include tickets, lodging and travel accommodations, to live music, sporting and other entertainment events," the release explained.
“These resignations ensure that Endeavor and Live Nation will compete independently,” explains Powers in a release. “Executives are not permitted to hold board positions on companies that compete with each other. The division will enforce the antitrust laws to make sure that all companies compete on the merits.”
Why the DOJ decided to act now — under the Biden Administration, the DOJ's acting assistant attorney general for Antitrust is career DOJ deputy AG and Distinguished Service Award winner Richard Powers — is unclear. Emanuel had already agreed to resign from the board effective two weeks ago when his final stock awards in the company had vested.
In a release, the DOJ described the ownership issue as an illegal interlocking directorate where "one person – or an agent of one person or company – serves as an officer or director of two companies."
Section 8 of the Clayton Act "prohibits the same person or company from serving as an officer or director of two competing companies, except under certain defined safe harbors."
"Endeavor and Live Nation compete closely in many sports and entertainment markets. Both Live Nation and Endeavor, through its wholly owned and minority owned subsidiaries, promote and sell tickets and VIP packages that include tickets, lodging and travel accommodations, to live music, sporting and other entertainment events," the release explained.
“These resignations ensure that Endeavor and Live Nation will compete independently,” explains Powers in a release. “Executives are not permitted to hold board positions on companies that compete with each other. The division will enforce the antitrust laws to make sure that all companies compete on the merits.”
Why the DOJ decided to act now — under the Biden Administration, the DOJ's acting assistant attorney general for Antitrust is career DOJ deputy AG and Distinguished Service Award winner Richard Powers — is unclear. Emanuel had already agreed to resign from the board effective two weeks ago when his final stock awards in the company had vested.
In a release, the DOJ described the ownership issue as an illegal interlocking directorate where "one person – or an agent of one person or company – serves as an officer or director of two companies."
Section 8 of the Clayton Act "prohibits the same person or company from serving as an officer or director of two competing companies, except under certain defined safe harbors."
"Endeavor and Live Nation compete closely in many sports and entertainment markets. Both Live Nation and Endeavor, through its wholly owned and minority owned subsidiaries, promote and sell tickets and VIP packages that include tickets, lodging and travel accommodations, to live music, sporting and other entertainment events," the release explained.
“These resignations ensure that Endeavor and Live Nation will compete independently,” explains Powers in a release. “Executives are not permitted to hold board positions on companies that compete with each other. The division will enforce the antitrust laws to make sure that all companies compete on the merits.”
NEWS
Lola Young has joined forces with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to release a new T shirt for the charity’s Lifelines collection.
The shirt supports CALM’s suicide prevention work, with proceeds helping to fund vital resources such as its helpline and CALMzone mental health app.
CALM introduced the Lifelines range last year, with Fontaines D.C., Blossoms and Inhaler also contributing their own designs to the collection.
Young’s design includes the words, “There’s a flicker of light. There’s always morning after the night”, taken from her track ‘Flicker Of Light’.
“I wrote this song about realising there is hope. I have often felt like there isn’t, but there is always a reason to keep going,” Young said. “That’s even when you don’t want to get out of bed, you do, and that is amazing, and you’re still here, and you’re still alive, and if anything, that’s something to be proud of.”
CALM CEO Simon Gunning also shared his appreciation for the collaboration, saying: “We couldn’t be more grateful to Lola for supporting ‘Lifelines’ and showing just how powerful music can be as a force for good.”
Priced at £30, the T shirts come in both standard and boxy fits and are available to purchase here.
Young has regularly spoken about her experiences with mental health. She returned to performing earlier this year after calling off her 2025 tour because of exhaustion. The decision followed her collapse during a performance in New York City. During her time away, she later discussed receiving support for addiction and attending AA meetings as part of her recovery.
In an interview with NME in May, Young explained that she believes “all healing journeys are never ending”, although she is now “definitely in a much better place”. She also said she feels “excited and ready to perform and to release music”.
Reflecting on the encouragement she received after publicly discussing those challenges, Young said: “My fans inspire me in the same way I hope to inspire them. I feel like I’ve never tried to be especially honest… it just comes very naturally to me.”
“I don’t really have any other choice but to be honest, so if people connect to that, and that’s amazing.”
Several musicians have also applauded the ‘Messy’ singer for honestly addressing the pressure placed on touring performers. Lily Allen said she was “in awe” of the BRIT and Grammy winner, while Victoria Canal credited Young with bringing greater attention to the damaging impact demanding tour schedules can have on artists’ mental wellbeing.
When NME asked whether musicians were beginning to establish firmer boundaries around their health, Young replied: “I never intended it to start a movement, but I hope that it does in some way.”
