In a landmark ruling that could reshape the global live entertainment industry, a federal jury in New York delivered a decisive verdict Wednesday against entertainment conglomerate Live Nation, confirming that its Ticketmaster subsidiary unlawfully exercised monopoly power in violation of both federal and state antitrust regulations, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced.
Following four days of closed deliberations, the 10-member jury unanimously held Live Nation and Ticketmaster responsible for a pattern of anti-competitive behavior that inflicted widespread harm across the music ecosystem, including the inflated ticket pricing that has frustrated concert-goers for more than a decade. The outcome opens the door to sweeping corrective measures, with a full structural separation of Live Nation’s live event promotion business and its Ticketmaster ticketing division among the potential remedies being considered.
Bonta framed the ruling as a watershed moment for creators, concert fans and independent entertainment venues across the country. “This is a historic and resounding victory for artists, fans, and the venues that support them,” Bonta said in an official statement released after the verdict. He noted that the successful state-led challenge comes amid a years-long period of weakened federal antitrust oversight, proving that cross-state coalitions can hold large corporate actors accountable even when federal action lags. “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,” Bonta added. “We are incredibly proud of today’s outcome — and especially proud of our coalition made up of red and blue states alike who understood we needed to come together to protect our consumers, businesses, and state economies from Live Nation’s illegal conduct.”
Per the jury’s findings, Live Nation engaged in systemic overcharging of ticket buyers between May 2020 and 2024, a period that saw explosive growth in live event attendance following the end of global COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
The case originated in May 2024 under the Biden administration, when the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) formally filed suit, publicly labeling Live Nation as an unchecked monopolist that controlled nearly the entire U.S. live entertainment market. Today, Live Nation stands as an undisputed industry behemoth: in 2025 alone, the company organized more than 55,000 events across the globe, drawing a total of 159 million attendees. Beyond its core promotion business, Live Nation holds ownership or controlling stakes in 460 major entertainment venues, and has owned Ticketmaster — the world’s largest primary ticket sales platform — since the controversial 2010 merger of the two companies.
Federal prosecutors and state attorneys general accused Live Nation of leveraging its outsized market power to coerce artists and independent venue operators into exclusive contracts, stifle emerging ticketing competitors, and impose exorbitant hidden fees that can add as much as 30% to the final cost of a concert ticket for consumers. The original DOJ suit called for a forced divestment of Ticketmaster as a core remedy to restore competition to the live entertainment market.
Shortly after the trial got underway in New York, Live Nation reached a tentative settlement agreement with the DOJ. However, the bipartisan coalition of 39 states that had joined the antitrust challenge opted to continue the trial in pursuit of more sweeping concessions. The terms of the existing DOJ settlement require Live Nation to open its ticketing infrastructure to competing platforms, allow independent promoters to book events at a selection of Live Nation-owned venues, divest ownership of up to 13 large outdoor amphitheaters, and pay a combined $280 million in damages to the states participating in the suit.
Even before the jury’s verdict, the tentative settlement drew sharp criticism from progressive policymakers, including Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who condemned the agreement in a post on X shortly after it was announced. “Donald Trump just betrayed every fan who’s been exploited by Ticketmaster,” Warren said, arguing that the $280 million penalty amounts to a mere slap on the wrist for the profitable conglomerate. “This fine is less than one percent of Live Nation’s revenue last year. We need to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation.”
Now, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramaniam will oversee the next phase of the case, where he will determine the final amount of monetary damages and set the scope of structural and behavioral remedies to address Live Nation’s unlawful monopoly power.