What goes around comes around: Jury finds Live Nation guilty of working as an illegal monopoly to dominate the live music market, and Im thrilled for the future of ticket prices at gigs

Date:
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:34:41 +0000

Description:
A US jury finds that Live Nation has been running an illegal monopoly to assume dominance over the live events market.

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Live Nation has been found guilty of running an illegal monopoly The case ruled that Live Nation has been overcharging fans by $2 a ticket It could result in Live Nation splitting from Ticketmaster The verdict is in: Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been running an illegal monopoly to assume their reign over live event ticketing competitors. And I, like many music fanatics
, am simply thrilled.

Following a lengthy four-day deliberation during a seven-week trial, a Manhattan jury on Wednesday April 15 found Live Nation and its subsidiary site, Ticketmaster, guilty of violating federal and state antitrust laws, in order to suffocate rival sites. Penalties will be decided at a later date,
but this could vary from staggering financial charges to the potential break-up of the two companies. The ruling comes shortly after Live Nation reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), where the company wouldve been required to divest certain parts of the business and cap its venue exclusivity contracts to four years. Though some US states joined the settlement, 33 other state attorneys didnt, believing that it failed to restore competition among live event ticketing sites. Article continues below You may like Apple Musics Concert page is almost the update Ive been waiting for Valve is facing a lawsuit over 'monopoly' claims on Steam and I'm scratching my head at this one Spotify says it's saved the music industry,
but not everyone is convinced

During its deliberation, the jury found that Ticketmaster had been overcharging customers by almost $2 per ticket (approximately 1.27) over a
few years. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide the total damage penalty owed
by Live Nation based on these findings. On top of this, Live Nation has countless exclusivity contracts with venues across the US, another strategy the company has used to seize control over the live events market and eliminate competition.

Speaking with the BBC , Morgan Harper of the American Economic Liberties Project described the verdict as "a historic victory for fans, artists, concert promoters and venue owners who have suffered for decades under the thumb of Ticketmaster's monopoly". But Live Nation has been far from silent, also telling the BBC that "the jury's verdict is not the last word on this matter.

In addition, Live Nation's legal representative, David R. Marriott, had quite a bit to say during the closing arguments. We are fierce competitors, he
said, adding that Live Nation is simply trying to win the business.

This verdict marks what could be a victorious conclusion for the live music sector, and comes almost two years after the suit was first filed in 2024 by Bidens DOJ. The growing frustration from music fans, artists, and venues
alike served as the catalyst for bringing Live Nation to court, especially following the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster catastrophe in 2022. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. A bright (and inexpensive) future on the horizon So what does this mean for the future of live music? Well, it all depends on the penalties owed by Live Nation which are yet to be determined.

However, given the extremity of its market dominance tactics, it could be
that Live Nation will have to divest an even larger portion of its business compared to what was proposed in the settlement. This could lead to the disbanding of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which, on top of costly court charges, could significantly dampen Live Nations dominance in the sector and balance out the competition.

This could also signify a brighter future for ticket pricing, and live music events run by large touring artists may no longer be a luxury product which we saw happen with the Oasis reunion and Beyonces Cowboy Carter Tour, the latter of which I was forced to skip due to sky-high pricing.

Ultimately, this verdict isnt just about holding the big names accountable, its about making live music a financially-accessible entity for music lovers everywhere. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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