Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized concert ticketing, jury says

A federal jury found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster unit illegally monopolized the U.S. live events industry and overcharged fans for concert tickets, delivering a major win for a coalition of 33 states and Washington, D.C. that pursued the case after the Justice Department settled mid-trial.

According to the jury's findings, Ticketmaster illegally controls ticketing at major concert venues, while Live Nation dominates the market for large concert amphitheaters — a sector where artists book performances. The jury also concluded that Live Nation tied access to its amphitheaters to a requirement that artists hire its event promotion services. Fans were overcharged by $1.72 per ticket as a result of the conduct, the jury found.

The verdict sets the stage for a separate bench trial on remedies and financial penalties. Bloomberg reports that the states are pursuing damages of up to $700 million, with the possibility of further penalties tied to individual state antitrust statutes. Some states have said they want Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster.

Live Nation announced plans to challenge the ruling through an appeal. Reuters reports the company has reserved $280 million in anticipation of a state settlement, while arguing its liability should be capped at $450 million. A company lawyer said after the verdict that "the game is not over by any means."

New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office led the case on behalf of the states, called the verdict a landmark victory. "For far too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have taken advantage of fans and artists by raising prices for tickets and stifling any competition that threatened their power," James said in a statement.

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino was among those who took the stand during the roughly six-week proceedings, which were held in Manhattan beginning March 2, 2026. Internal company emails that surfaced at trial showed two ticketing directors boasting about fees extracted from fans — at one point joking that the company is "robbing them blind," Bloomberg reported. The jury deliberated for three and a half days.

The Justice Department and a group of 40 states originally filed suit against Live Nation in 2024. The DOJ reached a surprise settlement with Live Nation after the first week of trial, which the state coalition rejected, choosing to continue litigation. The terms of the DOJ deal require Ticketmaster to allow rival vendors access to ticketing at 13 amphitheaters, and prohibit the company from taking punitive action against venues that choose not to work with Ticketmaster. The DOJ settlement still requires court approval.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the trial, will determine how much Live Nation must pay and how to remedy the monopoly, including whether to order a sale of Ticketmaster.

Shares of Live Nation fell 6.3% by market close. Competing platforms benefited from the verdict's fallout, with Vivid Seats up 9.3% and StubHub posting a 3.5% gain.