Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized big concert venues, jury rules
A New York jury ruled on Wednesday that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster unit operated as an illegal monopoly, handing dozens of states an important legal win against the ticketing giant.
The states in the civil case accused Live Nation of stifling competition, limiting consumer choice and driving up ticket prices for concert-goers.
Live Nation reached a deal with the Department of Justice in March to pay $280 million to states that sued the company over its practices. However, a coalition of 34 states rejected the federal settlement and vowed to move forward with litigation, with New York Attorney General Letitia James describing the suit as an effort to "restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry."
As part of the March agreement with the Justice Department, Ticketmaster was required to sell at least 13 of its amphitheaters and enable third parties to use its technology platform to sell tickets. Now, a judge could eventually reject the settlement in light of the ruling on the states' complaint, according to Roger Alford, a professor at the Notre Dame Law School.
Live Nation Entertainment owns or has an equity interest in hundreds of venues around the U.S., which it also operates and for which it controls bookings.
Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ticketing company has denied that it is a monopoly.
Damage award could be in the billions
The verdict came after less than a week of deliberations in a federal courtroom in New York. The judge in the case will now determine the total damages amount and penalties, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office, which was part of the lawsuit.
"In the face of dwindling antitrust enforcement by the Trump Administration, this verdict shows just how far states can go to protect our residents from big corporations that are using their power to illegally raise prices and rip-off Americans," Bonta said in a statement on Wednesday after the verdict.
Alford said the damage calculation will amount to $1.72 for every ticket Live Nation sold in the past six years, which could result in a payout of billions of dollars. Live Nation and Ticketmaster could also be forced to break up, he added.
"They've been making promises for decades and then breaking those promises," he said. "So the fact that they have tried behavioral remedies in the past and failed, I think, increases the chances of a breakup."
Ticketmaster, founded in 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona, was acquired by Live Nation in 2010. After merging, the new entity, Live Nation Entertainment, billed itself as the "largest live entertainment company in the world" and the "largest producer of live music concerts in the world."
In 2025, Live Nation's concert business generated nearly $21 billion, or 83% of its total revenue for the year, according to the company's annual report.
