Jury Finds Live Nation a Monopoly, Puts Breakup and Penalties on Table

A federal jury on Wednesday found Live Nation and its Ticketmaster unit illegally maintained monopolies for major concert venues and ticketing services, the New York attorney general's office said.

The verdict followed a seven-week trial in New York and came after the Department of Justice tentatively settled for a $280 million deal that still requires judicial approval, sources said.

Democratic senators urged Judge Arun Subramanian to scrutinize the DOJ settlement as inadequate, and Live Nation said the jury verdict "is not the last word on this matter," the company said.

Jurors found Ticketmaster overcharged customers by $1.72 per ticket in 22 states, a figure that could lead to hundreds of millions in damages and possible structural remedies including divestitures, court filings said.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will decide damages and remedies and told attorneys to meet and deliver a joint letter by next week outlining a schedule for next steps, court documents show.