BOSTON – Despite a pending settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Live Nation, the owner of Ticketmaster, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell says she will join with attorneys general of 24 other states and Washington D.C. to continue antitrust litigation against the company.
“For years, Live Nation’s illegal monopoly has driven up prices, squeezed out competition, and left consumers with few choices and little recourse, said Campbell.. “The DOJ’s settlement falls far short of protecting consumers, artists, and venues from the harms that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have caused.”
Campbell said she will “continue to pursue litigation against Live Nation and keep fighting to protect consumers, restore competition, and hold Live Nation accountable for its illegal behavior.”
In 2024, Campbell joined the DOJ and 39 other attorneys general in an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, claiming it monopolized the live entertainment industry. The lawsuit alleged that Ticketmaster’s market dominance led to higher consumer fees, fewer choices, and less innovation in the industry. The lawsuit alleged Live Nation:
- Forced venues to agree to restrictive long-term agreements that require these venues to exclusively use Ticketmaster for ticketing;
- Threatened that venues would lose access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they sign with a ticketer that is not Ticketmaster;
- Used its extensive network of amphitheaters to coerce artists into selecting Live Nation as a promoter instead of its rivals;
- Threatened rival promoters to attempt to prevent their entry into the United States market; and
- Serially and strategically acquired promoters, venues, and festivals to eliminate competition in the live entertainment industry.
According to Campbell’s office, LIve nation owns or controls 265 concert venues across the United States and manages over 400 musical artists. Ticketmaster controls primary ticketing for roughly 80 percent of major venues.
The DOJ and Live Nation agreed to the terms of a settlement on Monday, a week after the antitrust trial began in New York. The judge in the case must approve the terms of the settlement.
The Federal Settlement Agreement
The pending settlement agreement between the DOJ and Live Nation includes an extension of a consent decree the two reached in 2010 as part of the approval of the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The DOJ sought to modify that agreement in 2019 after it claimed repeated violations by Live Nation. It extended the agreement into 2025 and added an automatic penalty of $1 million for each future violation.
The DOJ and 39 states filed the antitrust lawsuit in 2024.
Teh settlement agreement between the DOJ and Live Nation announced on Monday includes:
- Eight-year extension of the consent decree;
- A cap on service fees of 15 percent of face value;
- Ticketmaster will provide a ticketing platform that allows third-party companies (i.e. Seatgeek, Stubhub) to offer primary tickets.
- Live Nation would divest 13 exclusive booking agreements with amphitheaters nationwide;
- Live Nation must divest ownership or control of 13 major amphitheaters across the U.S.;
- Live Nation-controlled amphitheaters must allow competing promoters to book shows and distribute up to 50 percent of tickets through other marketplaces;
- Live Nation agrees to strict prohibitions on retaliation against venues that choose a competing ticket service.
The states that did not join the DOJ settlement agreement and will continue litigation against Live Nation are Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
