Ticketmaster, Live Nation should break up, say 33 U.S. states
The states seek to force Ticketmaster’s sale and demand fan compensation after a jury found Live Nation illegally monopolized ticketing and amphitheaters.
- On Thursday, thirty-three states and the District of Columbia filed a motion in U.S. District Court seeking to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster, demanding fan compensation, stricter industry controls, and forced asset sales.
- A landmark April verdict in New York found Live Nation and Ticketmaster operate as an anti-competitive monopoly, following a six-week trial that revealed the company coerced venues with threats of losing access to major acts.
- Executive vice-president Dan Wall plans to fight the breakup, calling it "impossible legally and a terrible idea," while arguing Live Nation controls only 20 per cent of the primary ticketing market.
- In March, CEO Michael Rapino met with Trump White House officials and reached a tentative settlement with the DOJ, but thirty-three states and the District of Columbia rejected the deal to pursue trial remedies instead.
- Legal arguments over the proposed breakup are not expected for several months, with the case likely taking at least a year to conclude, as Senator Richard Blumenthal continues criticizing the "misuse and abuse" of dominance.
4 Articles
4 Articles
States seek Live Nation-Ticketmaster breakup after antitrust win
Live Nation Entertainment Inc. should be required to divest its Ticketmaster unit to fix its illegal monopolization of the live music industry, state attorneys general told a court Thursday. The request for a court-ordered breakup puts U.S. District Judge Arun…
Live Nation Must Be Broken Up From Ticketmaster After Monopoly Verdict, States Tell Judge
Live Nation must be broken up from Ticketmaster, state attorneys general told a federal judge Thursday (May 21), weeks after a blockbuster jury verdict that the music giant is an illegal monopoly. Laying out their proposed punishment after that verdict, a coalition of dozens of states argue in a hotly-anticipated legal brief that the only way to fix the live music business is to force Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster. Rela…
Stating the obvious: The Tipline for 21 May 2026
The state attorneys general suing Live Nation are seeking a divestiture of Ticketmaster, to no one’s surprise. But they are also seeking to force the sale of a "sufficient number” of Live Nation-owned amphitheatres and to remove some leases and exclusive booking policies, according to a high-level framework they filed on Thursday. Also in Tipline, the Department of Justice argues that Google has no valid justification to access potential search …
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