Live Nation settles DOJ claims it monopolized live event markets

By Jody Godoy and Kritika Lamba

March 9 (Reuters) - Live Nation Entertainment LYV.N settled with the U.S. Justice Department in the middle of a trial on claims the Ticketmaster owner illegally dominated key parts of the live-events industry, the DOJ said on Monday.

The deal hands a win to Live Nation, which has faced criticism from fans and lawmakers over ticket prices and access. It also allows the DOJ to avoid what could have been a long court fight and deliver what it calls quicker benefits for fans and artists.

New York and 24 other states, along with Washington, D.C., have said the settlement falls short, and plan to press ahead.

Live Nation will sell off up to 13 amphitheaters under the proposed settlement, and be barred from retaliating against venues that decline to use Ticketmaster to issue tickets, among other provisions intended to give artists and venues more choices, a senior DOJ official said.

Shares of the California-based company were up about 6% on Monday.

Live Nation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The proposed agreement will bar Ticketmaster from requiring artists to use its ​concert promotion ⁠services if they perform at the outdoor amphitheaters it owns, the senior DOJ official said.

Ticketmaster also will be required to introduce a standalone product enabling third-party ticket-selling platforms such as SeatGeek and StubHub to plug into its technology, the official said. Live Nation could pay up to $280 million to settle state claims under the deal, the official said.

The settlement will require the judge's approval to be finalized, after the public has a chance to submit comments.

Some in the live events industry were critical of the deal. "Live Nation's reported settlement amount - $280 million - is the equivalent of four days of their 2025 revenue, which means they could potentially make it back by this Friday," said National Independent Venue Association Executive Director Stephen Parker.

Ahmed Nimale, a former Live Nation executive who now runs ticketing provider TIX, said the deal is not enough to curb Ticketmaster and Live Nation's dominance, since venues are financially dependent on upfront payments that discourage switching.

"When a single company has a billion-dollar balance sheet, it also controls the leverage that shapes pricing, fees, and access," he said.

STATES TO CONTINUE LAWSUIT

Fans and politicians had intensified calls to examine Live Nation's 2010 acquisition of Ticketmaster, after the company subjected Taylor Swift fans to hours-long online queues while charging exorbitant prices for tickets to her 2022 Eras tour.

The U.S. Justice Department and more than two dozen states sued to break up Live Nation in May 2024, calling for a sale of Ticketmaster and alleging the companies illegally inflated concert ticket prices and harmed artists.

Of the 39 states plus Washington, D.C. that sued alongside the DOJ, only Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota indicated they will join the settlement, according to court documents.

An attorney for Live Nation said in court that the company is seeking a broader, global resolution of related state-level antitrust claims.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would not join the settlement, which she said "fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers."

Other states continuing in the case include Colorado and Arizona. Texas also has concerns with the DOJ deal, an attorney for the states said in court.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian paused the trial to give the states time to prepare to continue without the DOJ, which had taken the lead in the case. Jurors were told to return on March 16.

Subramanian questioned why the DOJ and Live Nation had allowed the trial to proceed last Friday after signing the settlement on Thursday.

"It shows absolute disrespect for the court, for the jury, for this entire process, and it is entirely unacceptable," Subramanian said.

An attorney for the DOJ said she was not aware of the settlement on Friday.