Live Nation and Ticketmaster Face Jury Verdict Over Concert Monopoly
A federal jury in Manhattan has ruled that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster arm held a harmful monopoly over major concert venues. The decision followed four days of deliberation in a case brought by dozens of U.S. states that accused the duo of stifling competition and inflating ticket prices.
Key Points
- Monopoly Scope
- Live Nation controls or owns hundreds of venues and manages bookings for many events.
- Ticketmaster, founded in 1976, is the world’s largest concert‑ticket provider.
Together they command ≈86 % of the concert market and 73 % when sports events are included.
- Legal Proceedings
- The judge instructed both sides to meet with the U.S. government and submit a joint plan for moving forward, including a timeline for future motions.
- A deadline was set for this plan by the end of next week.
- Allegations
- Live Nation allegedly forced venues to use Ticketmaster exclusively, blocking other sellers.
States called the company a “monopolistic bully” that raised costs for fans; the federal government cited U.S. antitrust violations.
- Historical Context
- Past conflicts include a 1990s Pearl Jam complaint and the 2022 Taylor Swift ticket fiasco, which CEO Michael Rapino blamed on a cyberattack.
Internal emails surfaced showing an executive describing ticket prices as “outrageous” and customers as “so stupid,” later apologized for.
- Previous Settlement
- A settlement earlier this year capped service fees at some amphitheaters and allowed venues to use alternative sellers, but did not require Live Nation to separate from Ticketmaster.
- More than 30 states continued the trial, arguing the settlement fell short.
Implications
The jury’s verdict is a significant check on Live Nation’s dominance and could lead to further changes in how concert tickets are sold nationwide.
