Overview
- The agreement, announced days into the Manhattan trial, averts a court‑ordered breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
- Ticketmaster must open elements of its platform to competitors, including offering a standalone system that allows rival sellers to use its technology.
- Exclusivity contracts with venues are limited to four years with carveouts allowing venues to allocate tickets to competing platforms, and Live Nation is barred from retaliating against venues that choose other ticketers.
- Live Nation will divest up to 13 amphitheaters and cap service fees at 15% for events at Live Nation‑owned amphitheaters, according to DOJ officials and multiple reports.
- Live Nation will pay roughly $200 million in damages to participating states, with some reports citing up to $280 million; the settlement requires a judge’s approval and a coalition of states led by New York and California will continue separate litigation, with some seeking a mistrial.