The civil lawsuit alleged that Live Nation leveraged its extensive influence to stifle competition by preventing venues from engaging multiple ticket vendors.
NEW YORK — In a significant legal outcome, a jury has determined that concert behemoth Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, have maintained an unfair monopoly over major concert venues. This verdict marks a setback for the company amid a lawsuit initiated by numerous U.S. states.
After four days of deliberation, a federal jury in Manhattan delivered its decision on Wednesday in a highly publicized case that peeled back the curtain on a business dominating the live entertainment industry both in the U.S. and globally.
Concluding the trial, the judge instructed attorneys from both sides, along with representatives from “the United States,” to collaborate on drafting a joint letter. This letter is to outline a proposed schedule for subsequent motions and detail the procedures for the case’s remedies phase. They are required to submit this document by late next week.
Live Nation Entertainment has a vast footprint, owning, operating, booking, or having an equity stake in hundreds of venues. Ticketmaster, its subsidiary, is recognized as the leading ticket seller worldwide for live events. As they exited the courthouse, Live Nation’s legal team refrained from commenting immediately but indicated a formal statement would be forthcoming.
Originally spearheaded by the U.S. federal government, the civil suit accused Live Nation of exploiting its expansive reach to suppress competition, notably by restricting venues from partnering with multiple ticketing services.
“It is time to hold them accountable,” Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney for the states, said in a closing argument, calling Live Nation a “monopolistic bully” that drove up prices for ticket buyers.
Live Nation insisted it’s not a monopoly, saying that artists, sports teams and venues decide prices and ticketing practices. A company lawyer insisted its size was simply a function of excellence and effort.
“Success is not against the antitrust laws in the United States,” attorney David Marriott said in his summation.
Ticketmaster was established in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. The company now controls of 86% of the market for concerts and 73% of the overall market when sports events are included, according to Kessler.
Ticketmaster has long drawn ire from fans and some artists. Grunge rock titans Pearl Jam battled the business in the 1990s, even filing an anti-monopoly complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, which declined to bring a case then.
Decades later, the Justice Department, joined by dozens of states, brought the current lawsuit during Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration. Days into the trial, Republican President Donald Trump’s administration announced it was settling its claims against Live Nation.
The deal included a cap on service fees at some amphitheaters, plus some new ticket-selling options for promoters and venues — potentially allowing, but not requiring, them to open doors to Ticketmaster competitors such as SeatGeek or AXS. But the settlement doesn’t force Live Nation to split from Ticketmaster.
A handful of the states joined the settlement. But more than 30 pressed ahead with the trial, saying the federal government hadn’t gotten enough concessions from Live Nation.
The trial brought Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino to the witness stand, where he was questioned about matters including the company’s Taylor Swift ticket debacle in 2022. Rapino blamed a cyberattack.
The proceedings also aired a Live Nation executive’s internal messages declaring some prices “outrageous,” calling customers “so stupid” and boasting that the company “robbing them blind, baby.” The executive, Benjamin Baker, apologetically testified that the messages were “very immature and unacceptable.”
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