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Live Nation, DOJ Reach Settlement That Stops Short of Ticketmaster Breakup

Court approval remains pending as a bloc of states plans to continue the antitrust fight on their own.

Overview

  • Proposed terms require Live Nation to divest up to 13 amphitheaters and bar retaliation against venues that choose rival ticketing or promotion.
  • Ticketmaster must open a standalone system that lets competitors like SeatGeek and Eventbrite sell through its technology and unwind long exclusivity deals capped at four years.
  • Service fees at Live Nation–controlled amphitheaters would be capped at 15% and venues could allocate portions of ticket inventory to non-Ticketmaster platforms, according to a term sheet.
  • Live Nation will fund roughly $280 million for participating states, with some reports citing figures closer to $200 million, while several attorneys general declined to join the deal.
  • U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian criticized the late disclosure of the agreement, paused the joint trial, and must still decide whether to approve the settlement as state-led proceedings resume.