Jury finds that Ticketmaster and Live Nation had an anticompetitive
monopoly over big concert venues
[April 16, 2026]
By LARRY NEUMEISTER and JENNIFER PELTZ
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury found Wednesday that entertainment giant Live
Nation, which hosts tens of thousands of concerts a year, and its
Ticketmaster subsidiary had a harmful monopoly over big venues.
The ruling, in a lawsuit brought by dozens of states, won’t immediately
bring relief for concertgoers who have long complained about high ticket
prices. But it could cost Live Nation hundreds of millions of dollars
and perhaps force the company to sell some of its concert venues when
the judge hands out penalties later.
Among other things, the jury found Ticketmaster's anticompetitive
practices led to people in 22 states paying an extra $1.72 per ticket,
which the judge could order the companies to pay back.
A jury in New York deliberated for four days before reaching its
decision. State attorneys general who sued Live Nation said the verdict
could potentially lead to lower ticket prices for music fans.
Live Nation said in a statement that the verdict “is not the last word
on this matter.”
The company predicted that once a remedy phase of the litigation is
completed before the judge and all appeals are resolved, the outcome
likely won't be much different from what the federal government achieved
with a settlement it reached with the company just after the trial
began.
That deal included a cap on service fees at some amphitheaters, plus
some new ticket-selling options for promoters and venues — potentially
allowing, but not requiring, them to open doors to Ticketmaster
competitors such as SeatGeek or AXS.
The trial was a backstage pass
The trial gave fans the equivalent of a backstage pass to a business
that dominates live entertainment in the U.S. and beyond.
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino testified, answering questions about
matters including the company’s Taylor Swift ticket debacle in 2022.
Rapino blamed a cyberattack.
Jurors also got to see a Live Nation employee’s internal messages to
another employee declaring some prices “outrageous,” calling customers
“so stupid” and boasting that the company was “robbing them blind,
baby.” The employee, Benjamin Baker, who has since been promoted to a
position as a ticketing executive, apologetically testified that the
messages were “very immature and unacceptable.”
Live Nation Entertainment owns, operates, controls booking for or has an
equity interest in hundreds of venues. Its subsidiary Ticketmaster is
widely considered to be the world’s largest ticket-seller for live
events.
The verdict could cost Live Nation and Ticketmaster hundreds of millions
of dollars, based on the jury's estimate that customers paid an extra
$1.72 per ticket. The companies could also be assessed penalties. In
addition, sanctions could result in court orders that they divest
themselves of some entities, including venues such as amphitheaters that
they own.
In its statement, Live Nation said the jury's award of $1.72 per ticket
applied to “a limited number of tickets” sold at 257 venues and
representing about 20% of total tickets sold. The company estimated the
aggregate single damages figure would be below $150 million, though it
would be trebled.
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The Ticketmaster logo is seen along the sideline of the field
before an NFL football game, Sept. 15, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla.
(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
 The civil case, initially led by the
U.S. government, accused Live Nation of using its reach to smother
competition — by blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers,
for example.
Live Nation denies it is a monopoly
Live Nation insisted it is not a monopoly, saying that artists,
sports teams and venues decide prices and ticketing practices. A
company lawyer said its size was simply a function of excellence and
effort.
“Success is not against the antitrust laws in the United States,”
attorney David Marriott said in his summation.
Ticketmaster was established in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in
2010. The company now controls of 86% of the market for concerts and
73% of the overall market when sports events are included, according
to an attorney for the states, Jeffrey Kessler.
Ticketmaster has long drawn ire from fans and some artists. Grunge
rock titans Pearl Jam battled the business in the 1990s, even filing
an anti-monopoly complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice,
which declined to bring a case then.
Decades later, the Justice Department, joined by dozens of states,
brought the current lawsuit during Democratic former President Joe
Biden's administration.
Days into the trial, Republican President Donald Trump's
administration announced it was settling its claims against Live
Nation.
A handful of the states joined the settlement. But more than 30
pressed ahead with the trial, saying the federal government hadn't
gotten enough concessions.
Attorneys hail verdict
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a release
after the verdict that Live Nation's “illegal, anti-competitive
practices” had driven up ticket prices and made it harder for fans
to see their favorite acts.
New York Attorney General Letitia James called the verdict “a
landmark victory.”
After the victory, Kessler would not say specifically what the
states will seek in the next phase of the litigation, which was
expected to involve another lengthy legal proceeding before
penalties are decided.
But he celebrated the moment.
“It’s a great day for consumers," he said.
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