Live Nation Operated as Monopoly, Jury Finds

Live Nation has been found liable in its blockbuster antitrust trial, a remarkable verdict that has the potential to completely reshape the live entertainment industry, per the New York Times. The jury deliberated for four days before deciding that the company operated as a monopoly that broke antitrust laws.

The more than 30 states suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster were ultimately able to convince the jury that the company constituted a monopoly with their dominant positions in ticketing, concert promotions, and venues. The states argued that Live Nation used threats and retaliation to cajole artists and venues into using their services. These included allegations that Live Nation would withhold its lucrative concert tours from venues that didn’t sign exclusive deals with Ticketmaster, or that artists would only be allowed to play Live Nation-owned amphitheaters if they also used the company’s concert promotion services.

An exact punishment has yet to be meted out, but the consequences could range from heavy monetary damages to possibly breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It’s also likely that Live Nation will appeal the verdict, meaning the case could continue for several more years.

Still, the verdict is a historic one and caps off the most significant effort yet to reign in the company that has dominated live music, sports, and other events for more than 15 years. Live Nation has faced legal pressure before, particularly a 2018 investigation into claims that the company violated the terms of a Department of Justice consent decree — instituted when Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010 — meant to prevent Live Nation from retaliating against venues that used other ticketing services. 

This matter was settled in late 2019, with the DOJ finding that Live Nation had violated the terms of the decree. As punishment, the decree was extended by five years and the language amended to more clearly state that Live Nation could not threaten or retaliate against venues that used another ticketing provider. Claims that Live Nation continued to do just that were a major component of the antitrust suit the DOJ brought in 2024. 

The states’ victory is also notable for how the trial played out. After one week in court, the DOJ announced a surprise settlement with Live Nation that included monetary damages, and concessions involving ticketing and its amphitheater business. While seven of the original plaintiff states signed onto the DOJ’s terms, attorneys general for the rest rejected the deal, with some sharply criticizing the terms for not going far enough. In choosing to continue the case, the states hired outside counsel, led by antitrust expert Jeffrey Kessler, to take over the case with only one week to prepare. 

The past six weeks of court hearings have offered a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, with troves of emails, internal messages, and even a few surreptitiously recorded phone calls being submitted as evidence. Arguably the most explosive piece of evidence to emerge were messages sent between two ticketing directors, who bragged about “robbing” fans blind and “asking advantage of them” with high ancillary fees for things like parking. (Live Nation said in a statement that the exchange “absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate.”)

The trial also featured testimony from many top Live Nation executives, including CEO Michael Rapino. The jury also heard from major figures at LN’s biggest competitors, like AEG and SeatGeek, plus expert witnesses. Despite the major implications the trial had for the music industry and artists of all kind, none took the stand (though Kid Rock — a frequent Ticketmaster critic — did appear on the original witness list). 

The case also took on political dimensions as Live Nation lobbied the Trump administration over the suit. As part of its efforts, the company appointed Ric Grenell — a longtime Trump crony and former Kennedy Center president — to its board; and, according to multiple reports, the company’s lobbying team included former Trump aide and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and MAGA influencer/lawyer Mike Davis. (Davis also helped lobby the DOJ to drop its challenge to the $14 billion merger involving Hewlett Packard and Juniper Networks.)

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump himself even intervened in discussions that preceded Live Nation’s settlement deal. After hearing about the case from prominent people, the president started to ask what was holding up a deal.

A deal was reportedly reached at the White House on March 5, a Thursday; but the court wasn’t told until a hearing the following Monday, March 9. Even some of the DOJ’s own lawyers were surprised by the deal, while the judge, Arun Subramanian, called the timeline “absolutely unacceptable.”