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Live Nation Entertainment was found liable In the stunning antitrust lawsuit, a major move that could radically shake up the live music scene as a judge now decides what punishment Live Nation and Ticketmaster must face.
After a weeks-long trial that featured testimony from the likes of Live Nation CEO Michael Rapinoe as well as other key industry stakeholders like AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano and Drake manager Adel Nour, jurors ruled Wednesday that Live Nation operates as a monopoly that has crushed competitors and driven up ticket costs for fans. The bulk of the claims that jurors focused on were related to artists’ demands at Live Nation’s amphitheaters, as well as allegations that Live Nation’s strong-armed concert venues used Ticketmaster if they wanted access to Live Nation’s concerts.
The ruling comes two years after the Justice Department and nearly 40 plaintiff states first announced a lawsuit against the live music giant in May 2024, with the department taking a strong and rare call to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster over a decade after the Justice Department originally allowed the merger more than a decade ago.
However, the Justice Department surprised the court after confirming that it had reached a settlement with Live Nation just days after the trial began. A few plaintiff states joined the settlement alongside the federal government, but more than 30 states—including market leaders California, New York, and Texas—decided to continue the litigation on their own, retaining prominent antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler as counsel.
As part of the Justice Department settlement, Live Nation had already agreed to some far less dramatic concessions than breaking up, which included terminating booking agreements with 13 amphitheaters across the country and opening up the remaining amphitheaters to all other concert promoters. Live Nation also agreed to another extension of the consent decree it originally entered when merging Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which stipulated that Live Nation could not withhold concerts from venues that used ticket providers other than Ticketmaster. (The Department of Justice previously sued Live Nation in 2018 alleging violations of the decree, with Live Nation denying the violation and walking out of court and extending the decree at that time as well.)
Beyond the allegations themselves, evidence uncovered at trial revealed some unflattering conversations between Live Nation representatives, perhaps most notably a set of exchanges between two regional employees bragging to each other about gouging concertgoers over surcharges and parking spots. “Steal them, blind man, baby, that’s how we do it,” one employee wrote.
Rapinoe denied the exchange during his testimony, saying: “It’s disgusting, this is not the way we work.”
With the ruling handed down, the next question is what remedies Judge Arun Subramanian deems necessary, and whether that will include separation. While divestment in Ticketmaster and Live Nation was the solution originally sought by the DOJ, without DOJ involvement, it is unclear how realistic this remedy is. States have the same authority to pursue certain remedies, including secession, under the Clayton Act.
Gail Slater, a former assistant antitrust attorney general who resigned before the Live Nation trial began, tweeted praise for the plaintiff states on Wednesday, writing that they “made antitrust history today.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the decision “a historic and resounding victory for artists, fans, and the venues that support them.”
“In the face of diminished antitrust enforcement by the Trump administration, this ruling shows how far states will go to protect our residents from big corporations that use their power to illegally raise prices and steal from Americans,” Bonta said. “We are extremely proud of today’s outcome — and especially proud of our coalition of red and blue states alike who understand that we need to work together to protect consumers, businesses, and state economies from Live Nation’s illegal behavior.”
Among the advocacy groups that welcomed the ruling on Wednesday was the National Independent Venue Association. “The jury has confirmed what independent artists, fans and venues have believed for 15 years: Live Nation is a monopoly,” NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker said in a statement.
“Live Nation and Ticketmaster should be broken up now. Ticketmaster should not be allowed to participate in the ticket resale market. Live Nation should not be able to promote more than 50% of artist tours. Damages paid to states should be transferred to the independent venues, promoters, festivals and fans who have suffered under Live Nation’s monopolistic rule for the past 15 years,” Parker said.
