Live Nation/Ticketmaster found liable

A federal jury in Manhattan found on April 15 that Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized major concert ticketing and large amphitheaters. (doj.nh.gov) (cnbc.com) The verdict came after a five-week trial that began on March 2, 2026, and four days of jury deliberations in federal court in New York. A coalition of 33 states and the District of Columbia kept the case alive after the U.S. Department of Justice settled its own claims during trial. (doj.nh.gov) (musicbusinessworldwide.com) (cnbc.com) Jurors found that Ticketmaster maintained monopoly power in ticketing for major concert venues and that Live Nation held monopoly power in large amphitheaters. They also found that Live Nation unlawfully tied artist promotion services to the use of its amphitheaters. (doj.nh.gov) (musicbusinessworldwide.com) The jury said Ticketmaster’s conduct overcharged concertgoers by $1.72 per primary ticket in 22 states and Washington, D.C. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide remedies and any further monetary relief in the next phase. (time.com) (nbcnews.com) (musicbusinessworldwide.com) The case reaches beyond ticket fees because Live Nation sits across several parts of the live-music business at once: promotion, venue ownership, booking, and ticketing through Ticketmaster. State attorneys general argued that control let the company squeeze venues, limit rivals, and raise costs for fans and artists. (doj.nh.gov) (nbcnews.com) (abcnews.com) That structure dates to the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, a deal that combined the country’s biggest concert promoter with its biggest ticket seller. Critics have attacked that arrangement for years, from Pearl Jam’s 1990s complaint to the backlash after Ticketmaster’s botched Taylor Swift presale in 2022. (cnbc.com) (npr.org) The federal government’s settlement did not require a breakup. It included a $280 million fund for state damages claims, divestiture of 13 amphitheater booking agreements, a 15% cap on some service fees, and an eight-year extension of Live Nation’s consent decree. (musicbusinessworldwide.com) (cnbc.com) The states that pressed on did so because they wanted a liability finding that could support stronger remedies, including divestitures or a separation of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Time reported that a breakup remains one option before the judge, though legal experts said any effect on prices is unlikely to be immediate. (time.com) (musicbusinessworldwide.com) Live Nation said the verdict is “not the last word” and said it will renew its motion for judgment as a matter of law and challenge the damages testimony. On April 15, the company’s stock fell more than 5% as investors weighed the risk of the remedies phase. (nbcnews.com) The next fight is over what the court orders the company to change. The jury has already answered the central question: the states proved that Live Nation and Ticketmaster broke antitrust law. (doj.nh.gov) (time.com)