- Live Nation has been found guilty of operating an illegal monopoly
- The suit found that Live Nation overcharged fans by $2 per ticket
- This could result in Live Nation parting ways with Ticketmaster
The verdict is in: Live Nation and Ticketmaster have operated an illegal monopoly to assert their reign over live event tickets. And I, like many music fanatics, am simply thrilled.
After a lengthy four-day deliberation during a seven-week trial, a Manhattan jury on Wednesday, April 15, found Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, guilty of violating federal and state antitrust laws to stifle rival websites. Sanctions will be decided at a later date, but could range from staggering financial costs to the potential dissolution of the two companies.
The ruling comes shortly after Live Nation reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in which the company would have been required to divest certain parts of the business and limit its venue exclusivity contracts to four years. Although some US states joined the settlement, 33 other state attorneys general did not, believing it failed to restore competition among live event tickets.
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During its deliberations, the jury found that Ticketmaster had overcharged customers by nearly $2 per ticket. ticket (about £1.27) over a few years. Judge Arun Subramanian will determine the total punitive damages owed by Live Nation based on those findings. On top of this, Live Nation has countless exclusivity contracts with venues across the US, another strategy the company has used to seize control of the live event market and eliminate competition.
Speaking to the BBC, Morgan Harper of the American Economic Liberties Project described the ruling as “a historic victory for fans, artists, concert promoters and venue owners who have suffered for decades under the thumb of Ticketmaster’s monopoly”. But Live Nation has been far from silent, also telling the BBC that “the jury’s verdict is not the final word on this case”.
In addition, Live Nation’s legal representative, David R. Marriott, had quite a bit to say during closing arguments. “We’re fierce competitors,” he said, adding that Live Nation is simply “trying to win the business.”
This ruling marks what could be a victorious conclusion for the live music industry, and comes nearly two years after the case was first brought in 2024 by Biden’s DOJ. The growing frustration of music fans, artists and venues alike served as the catalyst to take Live Nation to court, especially after the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster disaster of 2022.
A bright (and cheap) future on the horizon
So what does this mean for the future of live music? Well, it all depends on the penalties that Live Nation owes, which have yet to be determined.
However, given the extreme market dominance tactics, Live Nation may have to divest an even larger portion of its business compared to what was proposed in the settlement. This could lead to the dissolution of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which, on top of expensive litigation, could significantly dampen Live Nation’s dominance in the sector and equalize competition.
This could also mean a brighter future for ticket prices, and live music events run by major touring artists may no longer be a “luxury product” – which we saw happen with the Oasis reunion and Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter Tour, the latter of which I was forced to skip due to sky-high prices.
At the end of the day, this ruling isn’t just about holding the big names accountable, it’s about making live music an economically accessible entity for music lovers everywhere.
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