Live Nation and Subsidiary Ticketmaster Found Guilty of Monopolizing Ticketing Market
Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster received a guilty verdict on April 15 regarding the antitrust trial alleging that the company was monopolizing the ticketing market. This jury deliberation came five weeks into the trial.
Per NBC News, Live Nation, which has received significant backlash from the public in recent years for its pricing practices, was found to have "illegally maintained monopoly power in the ticketing market." Initially, these allegations had come from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and more than 30 states across political divides.
The allegations centered on the argument that LiveNation had engaged in "anticompetitive conduct," which would be a direct violation of anti-monopoly laws. These practices, the DOJ and nearly 40 states had alleged, led to the increased fees the public had been voicing frustrations with, along with this conduct allegedly limiting artists' choices and pressuring venues to utilize Ticketmaster.
This update comes on the heels of a deal between LiveNation and the federal government, along with some of the plaintiff states, last month, which saw Live Nation agree to cap service fees for ticket purchases at its amphiteaters at 15% of the ticket's price.
The same settlement also meant that Ticketmaster had to open its platform to its competitors, such as StubHub and SeatGeek. Separately, Live Nation had agreed to a $280 million settlement and eight years of oversight from the DOJ.
Previously, this antitrust trial also included allegations that Live Nation had "unlawful exclusive dealing with venues," although those charges were ultimately dropped, with the focus instead shifting to the broader monopolization allegations, as they seemed more likely to succeed with a jury.
Evidently, that has proven true. Per The Hollywood Reporter, responses to this news have included Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California (one of the states involved in the trial), saying that this is "a historic and resounding victory for artists, fans, and the venues that support them."
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 12:42 PM.