A New York jury found on April 16 that Live Nation Entertainment Inc. is a monopolist in the concert and ticketing industry, delivering a victory to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and other plaintiffs after a six-week antitrust trial.
The verdict marks an important development for consumers who have faced higher ticket prices and limited access to live entertainment due to what the plaintiffs described as anticompetitive practices by Live Nation. The case was pursued by 33 states and the District of Columbia after the U.S. Department of Justice reached its own settlement with Live Nation during the first week of trial.
“By pressing forward with this litigation, we have successfully protected Hoosiers and consumers nationwide from the harms of unchecked monopoly power,” said Attorney General Rokita. “This verdict sends a clear message: no company is too big to play by the rules. Live Nation must now provide meaningful relief to fans, artists and venues who have paid the price for its anticompetitive practices.”
Live Nation describes itself as “the largest live entertainment company in the world,” including being “the largest producer of live music concerts in the world” and “the world’s leading live entertainment ticketing sales and marketing company.” According to information presented at trial, since acquiring Ticketmaster in 2010, Live Nation has leveraged its market strength to become a dominant force in both ticketing and artist promotion.
The lawsuit followed years of investigation into alleged abuses by Live Nation that plaintiffs say led to increased costs for consumers. The next phase will be a trial on remedies, where measures will be considered requiring Live Nation and Ticketmaster to address their conduct found unlawful by the jury.
Attorney General Rokita acknowledged his Consumer Protection Division’s efforts on this case, highlighting Chief Counsel Scott Barnhart; Section Chief Corinne Gilchrist; and deputy attorneys general Jennifer Linsey and Jesse Moore for their work.
