Ozzy Osbourne sues AEG for allegedly requiring acts that book the O2 Arena in London to also perform at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The anti-trust suit was filed in a federal court in California on Wednesday, March 21,
Ozzy Osbourne vs AEG
According to the document, the music icon tried to book the O2, which has a capacity of 20,000 people, for February 2019 as part of the "No More Tours 2," Osbourne's final world tour. He was told that he can only play at the London venue if he also books Staples Center in Los Angeles.
"The tying arrangement at issue is so explicit and brazen that AEG has given it a name: the 'Staples Center Commitment,'" the complaint reads. "Through the Staples Center Commitment, AEG requires that artists and musicians cannot play London's most essential large concert venue — the O2 Arena — unless they agree to play the Staples Center during the part of their tours that takes place in Los Angeles."
AEG owns the O2 and the Staples Center.
In addition, the suit explains that Los Angeles has a competitive market for concert venues since The Forum was renovated and relaunched. However, the "Staples Center Commitment" forces artists to play at the Staples Center instead of having the luxury to choose between the two concert venues in the city.
Osbourne is seeking an injunction that will prohibit AEG to enforce the "Staples Center Commitment" on any artists and performances in the future.
Sharon Osbourne Accuses AEG
Sharon Osbourne, wife and manager of Ozzy, has previously publicly complained about the "Staples Center Commitment," accusing the company's chairman and CEO, Jay Marciano, of blackmailing the Black Sabbath frontman into performing at the venue.
In a letter addressed to Marciano (and shared with Billboard), Sharon condemned the deal and returned the alleged "Staples Center Commitment" to the company unsigned.
"Shame on AEG for bringing artists into a power struggle you're having with your competitor, Live Nation," she wrote. "I can assure you that Live Nation would never strong-arm an artist into playing a venue they're not comfortable performing in."
Block Booking Issue
However, AEG is not the only party involved in the issue of block-booking within the live concert business. The "Staples Center Commitment" was allegedly a response to a similar deal forcing artists to book The Forum if they want to perform in New York's Madison Square Garden.
Marciano told Billboard in a previous interview that his company will waive block-booking off of their contracts once they are confident that their competitors have stopped doing it.
