A federal jury on Wednesday delivered a major blow to Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, finding that the companies illegally maintained monopoly power in the live event ticketing market after a weeks-long antitrust trial.
The verdict was reached in Manhattan federal court following roughly five weeks of testimony and deliberations that began last Friday.
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alongside a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti helped lead the multistate push to challenge what plaintiffs described as an entrenched monopoly harming fans, artists, and venues.
Skrmetti told The Tennessee Star in a statement that “Live Nation and Ticketmaster have ripped off consumers for decades. ”
“Thanks to a relentless bipartisan coalition of states, they’re finally being held accountable. A jury determined that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are an illegal monopoly. Next up, the judge will decide the appropriate remedies, and a breakup is absolutely on the table. It’s been over 40 years since an antitrust case resulted in breaking up a company, and I think we’re due,” he said.
At the time the suit was filed, Skrmetti emphasized the stakes for Tennessee, noting that residents spent more than $765 million on Ticketmaster tickets between 2019 and 2022. He argued the company’s dominance over both ticketing and touring gave it outsized control over the state’s live entertainment ecosystem.
Just one day before the jury’s decision, Skrmetti underscored the unusual unity among states pursuing the case, telling The Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy in an exclusive sit-down interview that, despite political differences, attorneys general were aligned on protecting consumers.
“It’s a group of AGs that disagree about a lot of things, but we all see a real problem for consumers here,” Skrmetti said on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show. “When our interests align, we’re able to work pretty effectively together for our people.”
Plaintiffs in the case claimed that Live Nation leveraged its dominance across multiple segments of the live entertainment business to stifle competition, arguing the company controlled a vast share of major U.S. amphitheaters and used that influence to pressure artists into working exclusively with its promotion arm.
They also alleged that venues were effectively coerced into using Ticketmaster by threats of losing access to high-profile tours.
Testimony during the trial included accounts from venue operators who said switching to rival ticketing platforms led to a sharp decline in booked shows. The states contended such practices forced clients to stay with Live Nation and Ticketmaster out of fear rather than preference, resulting in higher ticket prices and fewer choices for consumers.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster denied the allegations, arguing their success stemmed from simply offering better services and infrastructure.
Midway through the trial, the DOJ reached a $280 million settlement with the companies, requiring changes to certain business practices which included opening some venues to competing promoters and loosening restrictions tied to Ticketmaster usage.
However, 34 states, including Tennessee, chose to continue the case independently, ultimately securing Wednesday’s jury verdict. The level of damages awarded to plaintiffs will be determined at a later date, in addition to a potential requirement that Live Nation divest Ticketmaster.
Concerns about ticketing practices have extended beyond the courtroom to Capitol Hill. Musical artist Kid Rock, who resides in Tennessee, recently testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee, criticizing what he described as systemic abuse in the industry.
“Music fans and artists have been getting screwed for far too long by the ticketing system,” he said during the January hearing, arguing that consolidation following the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger led to higher prices and reduced artist control.
Kid Rock called for reforms, including greater artist authority over ticket sales, enforcement of anti-bot laws, and limits on resale pricing.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
