HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a federal jury has returned a verdict against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ticketmaster, LLC., regarding monopolistic practices that violated antitrust laws.
Attorney General Sunday and a coalition of states continued to pursue the lawsuit, despite a recent settlement agreement between the companies and the U.S. Department of Justice — an agreement the coalition believed fell short of being a fair remedy for consumers.
The jury found the companies liable on all monopolization counts, and determined Ticketmaster overcharged consumers by $1.72 per ticket. The federal judge who oversaw the trial will determine remedies for the illegal conduct at a separate proceeding on a later date.
“This is a huge win for consumers, as a jury has agreed with our position that these two mega companies have essentially had a stranglehold on a multi-billion-dollar industry that limited Pennsylvanians’ options for enjoying their favorite artists,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I am proud that our office has been part of a bipartisan coalition that continued this case under extraordinary circumstances and took it to a jury.”
In 2024, 40 attorneys general joined the federal agency in an antitrust lawsuit, alleging that Live Nation — owner and operator of numerous venues nationwide, including Pennsylvania — and Ticketmaster — the ticketing service giant — form an illegal monopoly over the live entertainment industry.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s dominance has impacted fans across the Commonwealth. In a recent year, Pennsylvanians spent approximately $1.5 billion dollars on live entertainment, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Allegations in the lawsuit include evidence of Live Nation’s engagement in anti-competitive practices to maintain its monopoly, as well as allegations that:
- Live Nation has maintained its anti-competitive monopoly in ticketing markets by locking up venues through restrictive long-term, exclusive agreements and by threatening that venues will lose access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they sign with a rival ticketing company.
- Live Nation leverages its extensive network of amphitheaters and other venues to force artists to select Live Nation as a promoter instead of its rivals, maintaining its promotions monopoly.
- Live Nation’s conduct has harmed fans through higher fees, lack of transparency, fewer consumer choices, and stifling innovation.
The lawsuit asks the court to restore competition in the live entertainment industry by:
- Ordering Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster.
- Awarding financial compensation for consumers who paid more than they should have for tickets in a competitive market.
- Prohibiting Live Nation from engaging in its anticompetitive practices.
A copy of the complaint is available here.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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