Jury rules Live Nation and Ticketmaster an illegal monopoly

A federal jury in New York has ruled against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The decision found the companies liable for illegally operating as a monopoly in the concert ticketing market. The verdict arrived on April 15, after roughly five weeks of trial and dozens of witnesses. Jurors concluded the company overcharged customers in 22 states by an average of $1.72 per ticket.

The case carries significant weight for the live music industry. Crucially, Judge Arun Subramanian will now preside over a second trial to decide remedies. That phase could force structural changes, including the possible divestiture of Ticketmaster from Live Nation. In addition, the damages figure will land in a separate proceeding.

The Department of Justice and 39 state attorneys general first filed suit in 2024. They argued that the Live Nation-Ticketmaster combination controlled “virtually every aspect of the live music ecosystem”. Notably, the federal government reached a $280 million settlement a week into the trial under the current administration. States including California and New York pressed forward regardless. They argued that the DOJ settlement fell well short of meaningful accountability. The jury ultimately sided with them.

Live Nation has rejected the verdict in a statement and plans to appeal “any unfavourable rulings”. Consumer advocates, by contrast, have called the decision a long-overdue check on the company’s market power. Still, the decision reverberates across the dance community. Ticketing markups have fuelled years of fan frustration around major tours and festival runs. For the first time in decades, meaningful structural changes in US ticketing look genuinely possible.