A federal jury has found Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster liable for violating antitrust laws, handing a significant courtroom victory to a coalition of state attorneys general that includes Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
The verdict follows a five-week trial focused on whether Live Nation’s control over concert promotion, venue ownership and ticketing created an illegal monopoly that drove up prices nationwide. Jurors agreed, finding the company used its dominance to shut out competition and push costs higher for fans, artists and venues.
The case, filed in May 2024 by dozens of states alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, accused Live Nation of leveraging Ticketmaster’s reach to lock competitors out of major concert venues. While the DOJ and several states reached a settlement during the trial, Kobach and a group of 33 states rejected it and continued the case.
“There’s a reason why concert ticket prices today are outrageously high,” Kobach said after the ruling. “It’s because Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been using their monopoly power to rip off consumers and artists.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey joined the multistate lawsuit challenging Live Nation’s business practices. His office had argued the company’s conduct limited competition and left consumers paying more at the box office. Bailey currently serves in the Trump adminstration.
The jury found that Ticketmaster unlawfully maintains a monopoly over ticketing services at major venues and that Live Nation dominates the amphitheater market. It also concluded the company tied its promotion services to venues it owns, limiting choices for performers.
With liability now decided, the case moves to a separate phase where attorneys general will seek financial penalties and possible changes to how the company operates. The outcome could determine whether Live Nation faces structural changes or other court-ordered remedies.
–Metro Voice
