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A New York jury found Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster liable for illegally monopolizing the live events market, delivering a landmark verdict in an antitrust case brought by more than three dozen states.
The states suing Live Nation gave closing arguments April 9th, imploring the jury to hold that the company had used its mammoth power to illegally crush competitors and grip the live entertainment industry with an iron fist. In Live Nation’s final statement to jurors, the company argued that the state’s position was unrealistic, that competition was thriving, and its business reigned at the top of live entertainment not because of antitrust practices but due to superior professional acumen and quality of services.
The Department of Justice under the Biden administration, along with 39 states and the District of Columbia, sued Live Nation in 2024. The lawsuit accused the company of threatening to deny venues concerts if they didn’t sell through Ticketmaster.
Live Nation, the nation’s largest concert promoter, and Ticketmaster, the biggest ticket seller in the country, merged in 2010, forming Live Nation Entertainment.
Since then, ticket prices and fees by the company have skyrocketed, and ticket-selling rivals have been illegally pushed out of competing for business, the suit alleged.
Live Nation denied those allegations. The company denied that it had coerced venues into using Ticketmaster and argued that the majority of the cost for tickets is set by artists.
The suit followed a multi-year investigation in which the DOJ examined whether Live Nation had honored the consent decree it entered into as part of its 2010 merger, as well as issues related to dynamic pricing and resale policies, agreements requiring venues to use Ticketmaster’s platform, and exclusive contracts with touring artists and venue management.
The trial had started in early March before seemingly coming to a halt after the DOJ made a surprise announcement that it had struck a deal with Live Nation.
Under the terms of the deal, Live Nation would allow venues that had agreements with Ticketmaster to sell through other ticketing companies and up to 50% of tickets at Live Nation-controlled amphitheaters would be sold by other companies. Live Nation also had to end its exclusive booking arrangements with 13 amphitheaters and create a $280 millioan settlement fund to be paid to states.
However, 32 states and the District of Columbia decided to move forward with the trial, leaving only seven states — Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota — deciding to settle their claims.
Many states that moved forward with the trial criticized the Justice Department’s deal with Live Nation, arguing for more concessions from the ticketing giant.
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