Did Live Nation punish a venue by taking Billie Eilish away?

Here’s a rewritten version of the technology news article with a more detailed, viral, and informative tone:

Live Nation-Ticketmaster Monopoly Trial Heats Up: Venue Executives Testify About “Credible Threats”

In a shocking turn of events at the ongoing Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly trial, two venue executives have come forward with damning testimony about the ticketing giant’s alleged bullying tactics. The trial, which has captured the attention of the entertainment industry and antitrust experts alike, is now entering its most explosive phase yet.

John Abbamondi, former CEO of BSE Global, the company that runs Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, took the stand on Wednesday, recounting a tense phone call with Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino. The call, which took place in April 2021, was recorded and played for the jury, revealing the high-stakes nature of the ticketing industry.

Abbamondi, identifying the voices on the call, said, “The nervous guy was me and the angry guy was Michael.” The exchange quickly became heated when Abbamondi attempted to break the news that BSE Global was considering switching from Ticketmaster to a competitor. Rapino, clearly frustrated, dropped an F-bomb during the conversation, expressing his anger over a contractual dispute.

But the real bombshell came when Abbamondi testified about the aftermath of the call. Despite signing a deal with SeatGeek in October 2021, the Barclays Center allegedly saw a “dramatic decline” in Live Nation-promoted shows. This included the loss of a highly anticipated Billie Eilish concert, which was instead booked at the new UBS Arena in Queens – a venue Rapino had previously warned could draw shows away from Barclays.

The second witness, Mitch Helgerson, chief revenue officer for the Minnesota Wild hockey team, echoed Abbamondi’s claims. Helgerson testified that when his venue considered switching from Ticketmaster to SeatGeek in 2018, a Ticketmaster executive allegedly threatened that Live Nation could move all of their shows to a rival arena across the river in Minneapolis.

“We took it as a credible threat,” Helgerson said. “Losing those shows would be almost catastrophic to our organization.”

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