Jury Says Live Nation/Ticketmaster Illegally Monopolized Ticketing Market
Written by Tariq on April 16, 2026
A jury in a high-stakes antitrust trial found Wednesday that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster illegally maintained monopoly power in the ticketing market. Jurors delivered the verdict in federal court in New York City after around five weeks of trial, which featured testimony from dozens of witnesses. The jury began deliberating Friday.
The complaint, initially brought by the Justice Department and dozens of state attorneys general in 2024, claimed Live Nation monopolized the industry by controlling ticketing, concert booking, venues and promotions. The lawsuit alleged that the company engaged in “anticompetitive conduct,” resulting in fans’ paying higher fees, artists’ having fewer options for touring and venues’ being coerced to use Ticketmaster.
The jury found that Ticketmaster overcharged concertgoers in the plaintiff state by $1.72 per ticket at “major concert venues” as a result of its anticompetitive behavior. Other monetary damages are possible, which U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will ultimately decide later. Live Nation, which has vehemently denied acting as a monopoly, saw its stock drop over 5% on the news as investors weighed what the verdict could mean for its future.
Source: NBC News
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