After a five-week trial, a federal court jury found Live Nation/Ticketmaster liable on Wednesday for harming consumers and the live music industry through its anticompetitive conduct. It found that Live Nation overcharged tickets sold to consumers from May 2020 through 2024.
“This is a historic and resounding victory for artists, fans, and the venues that support them,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “In the face of dwindling antitrust enforcement by the Trump Administration, this verdict shows just how far states can go to protect our residents from big corporations that are using their power to illegally raise prices and rip-off Americans.”
In May 2024, a coalition of 41 attorneys general, and the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, sued Live Nation, alleging that its control over almost every aspect of the live event business – from venue ownership to event promotion to ticketing services through Ticketmaster – allowed it to raise costs for fans and artists and to suppress competition.
During the trial that began on March 2, 2026, DOJ reached a settlement with Live Nation, which a coalition of 34 attorneys general rejected, choosing to continue the legal action.
The verdict Wednesday follows more than two years of litigation by the coalition of attorneys general.
The case now goes back to the judge to determine the number of tickets Live Nation sold and the total damages amount, final penalties, and consumer restitution, and to determine any injunctive relief, such as prohibiting an act or a behavior moving forward.
Under Section 4 of the Clayton Act, courts may award triple the actual damages to victims of monopolization.
Photo: Coolcaesar
