The United States and a coalition of states sued Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster subsidiary in May 2024, alleging the merged company used its control of ticketing, promotion, and amphitheaters to illegally monopolize live concert markets and squeeze out competitors. After the Department of Justice settled mid-trial in March 2026 for behavioral commitments, 33 states and the District of Columbia pressed on alone and won a sweeping jury verdict on April 15, 2026 finding unlawful monopolization and illegal tying. The states are now seeking structural relief, including a possible break-up of Ticketmaster and divestiture of amphitheaters, while Live Nation fights the verdict through post-trial motions and the DOJ’s settlement undergoes Tunney Act review.
LATEST DEVELOPMENT · AUG 4, 2026
After the Department of Justice settled mid-trial in March 2026 for behavioral commitments without a Ticketmaster divestiture, 33 states and the District of Columbia tried the case alone and on April 15, 2026 a Manhattan jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster unlawfully monopolized primary ticketing and amphitheaters and tied amphitheaters to promotion. The states seek divestiture of Ticketmaster, amphitheater sell-offs, damages and penalties. Judge Subramanian heard Live Nation’s Rule 50 and new-trial motions on July 29, 2026, and the DOJ settlement is in Tunney Act review with a decision expected in the autumn. On August 4, 2026, the judge allowed the states to pursue narrow discovery into that settlement.
BACKGROUND
Live Nation Entertainment and its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster have faced antitrust scrutiny since their 2010 merger, but the pressure intensified after the botched 2022 Ticketmaster presale for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour drew national attention to the company’s dominance. In May 2024, the Department of Justice, joined by dozens of state attorneys general led by New York, filed a Sherman Act suit in the Southern District of New York accusing Live Nation and Ticketmaster of monopolizing primary ticketing and amphitheater markets and illegally tying venue access to its promotion business.
The case survived a motion to dismiss and summary judgment, and went to trial in March 2026 before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. Mid-trial, the DOJ struck a settlement with Live Nation that avoided a forced divestiture of Ticketmaster in favor of behavioral commitments and some amphitheater divestitures, a deal that drew criticism from former DOJ antitrust officials who had led the case. A coalition of 33 states and the District of Columbia, unwilling to accept the settlement, continued to trial on their own with private antitrust litigator Jeffrey Kessler of Winston & Strawn taking over as lead counsel.
On April 15, 2026, the jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable on every claim submitted, concluding the companies monopolized primary ticketing and amphitheaters and illegally tied amphitheater access to promotion services, and that consumers were overcharged on every primary ticket sold. Live Nation has moved for judgment as a matter of law and for a new trial, arguing the verdict was against the weight of the evidence, with Judge Subramanian hearing those motions on July 29, 2026. The states are pursuing discovery into the DOJ’s settlement as part of the ongoing Tunney Act public-interest review, and a remedies phase covering possible divestiture of Ticketmaster and amphitheaters, damages, and penalties still lies ahead.
TIMELINE
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AUG 4, 2026PROCEDURALCourt allows states narrow discovery into the DOJ settlement under the Tunney Act
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JUL 29, 2026HEARINGHearing on Live Nation’s motions for judgment as a matter of law and a new trial
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JUL 2026FILINGLive Nation moves for judgment as a matter of law and a new trialLive Nation asked the court to overturn the verdict or, alternatively, grant a new trial, arguing the jury was swayed by out-of-market evidence and unreliable damages testimony.
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APR 16, 2026OTHERLive Nation vows to fight the verdictHours after the verdict, Live Nation issued a defiant public response signaling it would challenge the jury’s findings through post-trial motions and appeal.
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APR 15, 2026JUDGMENTJury finds consumers overcharged $1.72 per ticketThe verdict form found defendants liable for a $1.72 overcharge on every primary concert ticket sold as a result of the anticompetitive conduct.
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APR 15, 2026JUDGMENTJury finds for the states on every federal and state claimAfter a five-week trial the jury found unlawful monopolization of primary ticketing services and amphitheaters and unlawful tying of amphitheaters to concert promotion, and found fans were overcharged $1.72 per ticket across 22 states.
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MAR 2, 2026HEARINGTrial opens in Manhattan federal courtThe antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster began before Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York.
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MAR 2026SETTLEMENTDOJ settles mid-trial for behavioral remedies. States continue aloneThe proposed consent decree requires multi-vendor ticketing access, opens amphitheaters to outside promoters for up to half of inventory, divests long-term booking agreements for 13 amphitheaters and caps ticketing service fees at 15 percent, but leaves Ticketmaster inside Live Nation.
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FEB 18, 2026PROCEDURALCourt rules in part on summary judgment and expert exclusion motionsJudge Subramanian granted in part and denied in part motions for summary judgment and to exclude expert testimony ahead of trial.
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2026OTHERFormer DOJ antitrust officials publicly criticize the settlementTwo former top DOJ antitrust attorneys, including former lead trial counsel David Dahlquist, publicly criticized the Live Nation settlement as it underwent Tunney Act review.
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MAR 14, 2025PROCEDURALCourt denies Live Nation’s motion to dismissJudge Subramanian issued an opinion allowing the federal and state antitrust claims to proceed to discovery.
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MAY 23, 2024FILINGDOJ and 30 states sue Live Nation and Ticketmaster for monopolization