Antitrust Trial Over Live Nation-Ticketmaster Begins
DOJ and roughly 39 to 40 states plus the District of Columbia seek to split Live Nation and Ticketmaster in a 2024 antitrust suit alleging monopolization; the trial is expected to last six weeks.
The VergeDoes Ticketmaster have a stranglehold on concert ticketing — or is it just ‘bringing joy’?
NBC NewsLive Nation argues it's not a monopoly during DOJ antitrust trial
Los Angeles TimesTicketmaster and Live Nation could be divorcing. What to know about the ongoing antitrust trial
Rolling StoneConcert Industry Is 'Broken,' Prosecutor Says as Live Nation-Ticketmaster Trial Begins
Overview
Jury selection began Monday in a Manhattan federal court, and opening statements were presented as the antitrust trial over Live Nation and Ticketmaster got underway.
The Justice Department and roughly 39 to 40 states plus the District of Columbia filed a 2024 lawsuit alleging Live Nation engaged in anticompetitive conduct to dominate ticketing, venues, promotions and artist services.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Dahlquist said the 2022 Taylor Swift ticketing meltdown shows technology 'held together by duct tape,' while Live Nation lawyer David Marriott called the company a 'fierce, lawful competitor.'
The DOJ's complaint says Live Nation directly manages more than 400 artists and owns or controls more than 265 concert venues in North America.
A finding of liability could lead to structural remedies including divestiture of Ticketmaster or operational separation, with the judge deciding relief and Live Nation retaining appeal rights, lawyers said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the trial as a consumer-focused antitrust story by foregrounding government claims and the high-profile Taylor Swift ticketing debacle while including company rebuttals later. Editorial choices — loaded descriptors ('infamously problem-plagued'), early DOJ quotations, and selective background — tilt the cumulative narrative toward market-power concerns.
FAQ
The DOJ and 39 states plus DC allege that Live Nation-Ticketmaster formed an illegal monopoly through their 2010 merger, controlling ticketing (70% market share), over 265 venues, and 400 artists, stifling competition and raising ticket prices.
Jury selection began on Monday in a federal court in Manhattan, New York, with opening statements on Tuesday.
A finding of liability could lead to breaking up Live Nation by divesting Ticketmaster, operational separation, bans on anticompetitive practices, and other relief decided by the judge.
Potential witnesses include sports and entertainment executives like former Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CEO John Abbamondi, Timberwolves CEO Matt Caldwell, AEG representatives, team reps from Cowboys, Cavaliers, Inter Miami, artists like Kid Rock and Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons.
Live Nation denies monopoly claims, stating it is a fierce lawful competitor that fights scalpers and bots, and artists are free to choose venues, prices, and ticketing.
