Live Nation reaches settlement in US monopoly case

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Mark SavageMusic correspondent

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The US government sued Ticketmaster following an outcry over the sale of tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2022

Live Nation, the concert giant that includes Ticketmaster, has reached a tentative settlement with the US Justice Department in an anti-trust case targeting its dominance of the live events industry.

The case was triggered by the chaotic ticket sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, which prompted the Justice Department to label Live Nation a monopoly that controlled virtually all live entertainment in the US.

During testimony last week, witnesses alleged the company had threatened to retaliate against concert venues if they did not use Ticketmaster’s services.

Under the deal, which is yet to be approved by a judge, Live Nation will allow businesses to use multiple vendors to sell tickets to fans.

In addition, the company will allow touring artists to hire other promoters when performing in its venues.

Live Nation will also pay $280 million (£209 million) in damages to the nearly 40 states that were parties to the antitrust lawsuit against the California-based company.

In addition, 13 venues that had exclusive booking arrangements with the company will be opened up to other promoters.

If it proceeds, the outcome will be far less severe for Live Nation than the government’s initial plan to break up the company.

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Live Nation has faced criticism from fans, lawmakers, artists and competitors

The existence of the settlement was revealed in court on Monday, having earlier been reported by the Politico website.

The situation appeared to annoy the judge overseeing the case, Arun Subramanian, after he learned that Live Nation and the Justice Department had signed their deal last Thursday.

He noted that he had been kept in the dark during a meeting with both parties on Friday morning.

“It shows absolute disrespect for the court, the jury and this entire process,” said Judge Subramanian in court on Monday. “It is absolutely unacceptable.”

An attorney for the Department of Justice said she was not aware of the settlement during Friday’s proceedings.

Request for mistrial

Separately, lawyers for some of the states involved in the case declined the settlement and said they would continue to pursue action against Live Nation.

“For years, Live Nation has made enormous profits by exploiting its illegal monopoly and raising costs for shows,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

“The settlement recently announced with the US Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the centre of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers.”

A lawyer for Washington DC, also moved for a mistrial on behalf of the states. Judge Subramanian is considering that request.

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Live Nation says record sales for upcoming tours by artists like Bruno Mars could further boost its profits in 2026

Live Nation is a giant of live music and sports. In 2025, it organised more than 55,000 concerts worldwide, drawing 159 million attendees.

The firm’s financial results, released last month, showed revenue in 2025 rose to $25.2 billion (£18.7 billionn), up 9% from the previous year, while operating profit jumped by more than 50% to $1.3 billion.

It also holds stakes in 460 venues, and had controlled Ticketmaster, the world’s leading ticket seller, since 2010.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation have repeatedly faced criticism from those who say the firm artificially inflates the cost of tickets with fees and service charges.

Calls from fans and lawmakers to the companies’ dominance grew louder after the botched sale of tickets for the first leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2022, which saw fans stranded in online queues for hours

Ticketmaster later apologised to Swift and her fans during a US Senate hearing.

In the trial, which started last week, the Justice Department accused Live Nation of abusing its dominant position to pressure artists and venues into signing with it, stifle competition, and impose excessive fees on fans.

The first witness was John Abbamondi, formerly of the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, who testified that Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino threatened to divert concerts from his venue after it chose to work with the rival ticket company, Seat Geek.

On a recording of a phone call played in court, Rapino could be heard telling Abbamondi that it would “be a tough time to deliver tickets or concerts, with a new competitor in town”.

Abbamondi testified that he interpreted that statement as a threat, and that Live Nation followed through by moving shows away from Barclays.

Live Nation denied the call constituted a threat and said the venue became less popular after a rival arena opened nearby.

The company had previously argued that the government’s case misunderstood the complexities of the live event sector.

It says that artists and their management are ultimately responsible for setting ticket prices; and that venues, not Ticketmaster, receive the bulk of fees added to ticket prices.

However, for many shows in the US, Live Nation may own the venue or act as the artist’s management.

Shares in the California-based company rose by about 6% following news of the proposed settlement.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said Live Nation would divest up to 13 concert halls. It did not own those venues, but had an exclusive booking relationship with them, which will now end.

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