Washington, D.C. — Following today’s landmark jury verdict finding that Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, illegally monopolized ticketing markets, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“This is a historic victory for fans, artists, concert promoters and venue owners who have suffered for decades under the thumb of Ticketmaster’s monopoly,” said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “This jury verdict is vindication for the states who pursued this case and for the rule of law. Now the remedy must match the violation. Live Nation and Ticketmaster must be broken up.”

Today’s verdict comes five weeks after the Trump-Vance Department of Justice (DOJ) secretly negotiated a deal with Live Nation one week into trial, allegedly under pressure from TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel. The DOJ’s proposed settlement followed the ousting of antitrust chief Gail Slater and reporting that Live Nation was ramping up lobbying efforts to settle the case. It was a move that the presiding judge, Judge Arun Subramanian, described as showing “absolute disrespect for the court, the jury and this entire process.” Despite the DOJ’s allegedly corrupt deal, a bipartisan coalition of 34 states and the District of Columbia rejected the deal and continued the trial.

Live Nation was found liable on every single count, including allegations that it had monopolized both the broader primary ticketing services market and the market for ticketing at major concert venues. Live Nation was also found liable for illegally bundling its concert promotions and venue business lines. 

Following the jury’s verdict, Judge Subramanian will determine the appropriate remedy. The state plaintiffs have called for Live Nation and Ticketmaster to be broken up.

BACKGROUND: 

Sixteen years ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger through a consent decree that Economic Liberties has previously criticized. Since then, Live Nation has gained unprecedented control over artists, venues, and consumers. It leverages its monopoly position to block rivals in primary and secondary ticketing markets; funnel ticketing contracts with its own venues and the tours it promotes to Ticketmaster; extract rents from venues and artists; retaliate against venues that reject its terms; and price gouge consumers. Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s practices have earned the ire of a broad coalition spanning Stubhub, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Zach Bryan, Kid Rock, and countless fans.

In October 2022, the American Economic Liberties Project launched the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition, alongside the Future of Music Coalition, Sports Fans Coalition, Fight Corporate Monopolies, More Perfect Union, Fan Freedom, the Consumer Federation of America, the National Consumers League, and the Artist Rights Alliance. The coalition encouraged over 100,000 fans, artists, and industry professionals to send letters to the DOJ calling for enforcement against Live Nation’s monopoly. 

Following the Break Up Ticketmaster Coalition’s advocacy, in May 2024, the DOJ filed suit alleging Live Nation had illegally monopolized the market for primary ticketing services at major concert venues: the company controlled 60% of major venues including more than 60 of the top 100 amphitheaters in the country. The prosecution demanded remedies similar to those Economic Liberties called for in its January 2024 legal brief outlining the case against Live Nation: the divestiture of Ticketmaster, enjoining Live Nation from continuing to engage in anticompetitive practices, and other structural relief to restore competition to the live events market.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from former Barclays Center CEO John Abbamondi describing Ticketmaster’s implicit threat to withhold concerts, testimony about undisclosed incentive deals steering venues toward Ticketmaster, as well as expert analysis showing that the company extracts higher fees per ticket. Jurors were also shown internal company messages from Live Nation showing employees joking about “robbing fans “blind”. The proceedings were marked by the defense’s accusations over evidence and witness conduct. 

As the jury convened, in April 2026, several senators called for Judge Subramanian to exercise scrutiny of the DOJ’s settlement under the Tunney Act.

For more background on the suit and Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s monopoly abuses, read “The Case Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster” here. 

For daily coverage of the trial against Live Nation, read Big Tech on Trial here.

Learn more about Economic Liberties’ Break Up Ticketmaster campaign here.

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.