Overview
- A Manhattan federal jury, delivering its verdict Wednesday after four days of deliberations, found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable for monopolization and set a $1.72 average overcharge per ticket.
- Judge Arun Subramanian will now decide damages and remedies that could include fines, new conduct rules, or a forced split, and ticket prices will not drop right away.
- During the trial the Justice Department struck a separate deal that some states rejected, with terms that include a 15% cap on some service fees, access for rivals like SeatGeek and StubHub, an end to certain amphitheater exclusives, and a $280 million fund, all pending court approval.
- States argued Live Nation’s vertical grip on promotion, venues, and ticketing shut out rivals, citing market shares around 70% to 86%, and jurors saw internal chats where executives mocked customers and discussed pricing.
- Live Nation denies it is a monopoly and says artists and venues set prices, while the ruling now threatens changes that could open more ticket choices and smaller fees for fans over time.