Tommy Dorfman: One Promoter vs The Monopoly | Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Power & Price of Music | Up+Adam

Tommy Dorfman: One Promoter vs The Monopoly | Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Power & Price of Music | Up+Adam

From Up + Adam with Adam Montiel by Adam Montiel

April 23, 2026 · 35 min

About this episode

Tommy Dorfman discusses his legal battle against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, highlighting issues of monopoly power in the live music industry.

Sponsored by The Mountain Air Tommy Dorfman’s story hits differently when you place it next to what’s happening right now in live music. In this episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with promoter and entrepreneur Tommy Dorfman, who went from building a nightlife empire to taking on Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster in a legal fight that’s stretched over a decade. What started as a collapsed festival deal turned into something much bigger. Dorfman claims he was pushed out of the industry and has spent years trying to bring what he believes is a broken system into the light. This conversation lands at a moment when Live Nation and Ticketmaster are facing intense national scrutiny. Recent reporting and legal action have raised major questions about monopoly power, ticket pricing, and control of the live entertainment pipeline. From federal and state challenges to public debate around whether meaningful change is actually coming, the conversation is no longer theoretical. It is happening now. • Rolling Stone perspective on the Live Nation verdict and what it means for fans and the industry Read here • Good News Network coverage of the antitrust ruling calling Live Nation and…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Montiel

Guest: Tommy Dorfman

Topics covered

  • live music
  • monopoly power
  • ticket pricing
  • entertainment industry
  • legal challenges
  • artist advocacy

Keywords

  • Tommy Dorfman
  • Live Nation
  • Ticketmaster
  • monopoly
  • ticket prices
  • live music
  • entertainment
  • legal fight
  • concert tickets

Sponsors

The Mountain Air

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster, Rolling Stone, Good News Network, The New Yorker

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