Concerts, Live Nation condemned for monopoly: this is what happens now
Historic antitrust ruling that could revolutionise the industry, up to and including the group's obligation to divest Ticketmaster
In the end, the 34 states that didn't lose heart after the United States Department of Justice's turnaround came out on top: the Federal Court in Manhattan ruled that the concert giant Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster had illegally monopolised the US live market.
The ruling, which came on Wednesday 15 April after five weeks of hearings, condemns the concert giant in a case destined to make history in Antitrust matters. According to the device drafted by the judges, specifically, 'Ticketmaster intentionally acquired or maintained monopoly power in the market for primary ticketing services for major concert venues through exclusionary conduct. Ticketmaster did the same in the market for primary ticketing services for major concert venues. Live Nation has intentionally acquired or maintained monopoly power in the market for primary ticketing services for major amphitheatres through exclusionary conduct'.
Live Nation, according to the judge, unlawfully tied artists' promoting services to the use of its arenas (meaning that artists were required to use Live Nation's promoting services in order to perform at its venues). And in tallying the damages, the jury found that consumers were charged$1.72 more per ticket for major concerts at major venues in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The jury also found violations of state competition laws in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont.
It all started back in May 2024 when the Department of Justice of the then Biden administration sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster, with the attorneys general of dozens of states and the District of Columbia joining in. The trial, however, came in March of this year, under the Trump administration. And the music seemed different: Live Nation immediately reached an agreement with the Justice Department that allowed it to retain ownership of Ticketmaster. The agreement included a $280 million fund for states' claims for damages and a series of divestments on the venue front.
But 34 of the 40 states that had moved have decided to go straight to court. The judge presiding over the case, Arun Subramanian, will determine sanctions in a separate proceeding, which could include significant divestments by Live Nation or even the break-up of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
