Live Nation beats quarterly revenue estimates on strong concert demand

Feb 19 (Reuters) - Live Nation Entertainment LYV.N beat quarterly revenue estimates on Thursday, helped by sustained demand for its concerts.

The company — a bellwether for discretionary spending and the health of the global entertainment sector — benefited from resilient demand for live experiences in arenas and amphitheaters, which continued to draw consumer spending.

Live Nation inadvertently published its earnings results on its website ahead of schedule.

Its concerts had a global attendance of 159 million fans in 2025, up from 151 million in the prior year. The company said its early 2026 ticket sales for Live Nation concerts were up double digits to about 67 million fans, with over 80% of large-venue shows already booked.

Analysts have said that investors are showing a renewed interest in "AI-resistant" businesses, further helping the company.

Separately, a federal judge on Wednesday allowed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation to proceed, after the U.S. government alleged the company used its control of concerts and ticketing to harm competition, clearing the way for a trial in March.

Live Nation's fourth-quarter revenue rose 11.1% to $6.31 billion, beating estimates of $6.11 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Its revenue in the concerts segment rose 12% to $5.15 billion in the quarter, compared with estimates of $4.93 billion. Ticketing revenue was nearly flat, edging up 1% to $846.2 million in the quarter, from $841.1 million a year ago.