Live Nation, Ticketmaster held monopoly, federal jury finds

A jury in New York on Wednesday found that Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, operated as a monopoly over live concerts and ticket sales. Both companies unlawfully harmed competitors in 33 states, as well as the District of Columbia, according to the jury. The jury also found that Ticketmaster overcharged $1.72 per ticket in 22 states and broke nine state-level antitrust laws. It ruled that Live Nation also unlawfully tied promotional services for artists to those artists’ use of some large amphitheaters for which the company had exclusive booking agreements. The Justice Department, along with attorneys general from 39 states, brought the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster in 2024.

Judge Arun Subramanian has yet to determine which remedies to order following a proposal from the state attorneys general. The department settled with Live Nation in March, but the agreement still requires court approval. If approved, the terms of the March settlement would require Live Nation to cap service fees at 15%, divest from some of its exclusive booking agreements, and give artists more flexibility in marketing and ticket strategies. The company also agreed to set aside $280 million to address claims from states.

How did the companies respond to the ruling? The jury’s ruling wasn’t final, as motions related to the liability and damages findings were still ongoing, Live Nation said in a statement. The jury’s ruling about overcharged tickets only applied to about 20% of total tickets sold, the company insisted. It had already set aside the $280 million fund for damages and didn’t expect the overall result of the case to greatly differ from the Justice Department’s settlement, it said.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the settlement.