States Seek Broad Remedies Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster After Monopoly Verdict
A federal judge is now being asked to consider significant structural changes to Live Nation-Ticketmaster following a jury’s finding that the company operated as an illegal monopolist. More than 30 states have requested that Judge Arun Subramanian order the sale of Ticketmaster, along with a “sufficient number” of large amphitheaters currently connected to Live Nation’s business.
The request follows an April trial in which jurors sided with state plaintiffs after more than a month of proceedings. The states’ proposed remedies go beyond the settlement the Department of Justice reached with Live Nation during the trial. That agreement required the company to end some exclusive booking arrangements at more than a dozen amphitheaters but did not require the sale of venues or Ticketmaster itself.
In addition to divestitures, the states are asking the court to restrict Live Nation’s ability to link access to its remaining amphitheaters with use of its concert promotion services. They also want rules preventing retaliation against venues and barring the company from conditioning access to concerts on which ticketing platform a venue uses.
The states are also seeking monetary relief, including reimbursement for alleged overcharges on ticketing fees. Their filing leaves open the possibility of requesting additional remedies as more information becomes available.
The scope of any final order remains uncertain. Judge Subramanian will decide whether the proposed remedies are appropriate and how far the court should go in restructuring or limiting Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s business practices.
Live Nation has previously said it intends to fight the jury’s verdict. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the states’ latest proposal.
The case is part of a broader legal and regulatory focus on competition in live entertainment, ticketing fees, and the relationship between concert promotion, venue ownership, and ticket sales.