Jury Finds That Live Nation Acted as a Monopoly and Overcharged for Tickets

On Wednesday, a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, operated as a monopoly that harmed consumers and overcharged ticket buyers. The decision came after four days of deliberations.

The decision is a victory for 33 states and the District of Columbia, which accused Live Nation of unfairly controlling too many aspects of the live entertainment industry at the expense of venues, artists and fans after the company settled an earlier antitrust suit with the U.S. Department of Justice. The verdict has the potential to reshape the live music industry in the United States.

New York was among the states that participated in the lawsuit. Following the verdict, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement.

“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,” the statement reads. “A jury found what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process.”

Live Nation has not responded to NPR’s request for comment on the verdict. In past statements to NPR, the company has denied the claim that it operates a monopoly, stating that there’s more competition in the marketplace than ever.

Live Nation owns, manages or works with hundreds of venues across the United States. In 2024, the Justice Department, under the Biden administration, filed a lawsuit accusing Live Nation of unfairly wielding its power over concert promotion, artist management, venue operations and ticketing services to shut out competition in the industry. The DOJ contended that Ticketmaster controlled around 80% of concert ticketing in the primary marketplace, plus a growing share of the resale market. The District of Columbia and 39 states joined the government’s case.

Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010. Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, The Cure and Olivia Dean are among the artists who have criticized how Ticketmaster has handled concert sales.

One week after the trial began in early March of this year, the Justice Department and several states reached a $280 million settlement with Live Nation. The company agreed to cap service fees at certain amphitheatres and allow some concert venues greater flexibility over the promoters and ticket distributors with whom they choose to do business.

Stephen Parker is head of the National Independent Venue Association, a member-based trade association advocating on behalf of live music venues. After news of the settlement, he told NPR that it was “not significant enough to call a slap on the wrist.”

After the Justice Department settled its case, 33 states and the District of Columbia decided to move forward with the trial. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, who spent hours on the witness stand, denied accusations that his company engages in anticompetitive practices. In an email, University of Notre Dame law professor Roger Alford commended the states for seeing the antitrust trial through.

“This was a massive win for the state AGs and an historic miss for the DOJ,” Alford wrote. “The DOJ had the talent, the material, and the audience. It just lacked leadership with the courage to step on stage.”

After the jury reached a decision, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ordered both parties to meet with each other and “the United States” to propose a schedule for the next steps, according to the Associated Press.

Copyright © 2026 NPR