OLYMPIA — Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and a bipartisan coalition of 32 states and the District of Columbia have won a major antitrust verdict against Live Nation, with a jury finding the company liable for monopolizing the live entertainment industry.
The decision follows a multistate lawsuit filed in 2024 alleging that Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, used its market power to drive up prices for consumers and limit competition for artists and venues. The ruling could have significant implications for concertgoers, who have faced rising ticket prices and fees in recent years.
A jury found in favor of the states on all counts, concluding that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster unlawfully maintained a monopoly in concert promotion and ticketing markets and used exclusionary practices to block competitors. The jury also found the company illegally tied venues to its concert promotion services.
“We’ve argued for years that Ticketmaster owner Live Nation has a monopoly that harms consumers, venues, artists, and competition. Today, a jury agreed with us and has found Live Nation fully liable for its illegal conduct,” Brown said. “I am proud of state enforcers across the country who stood firm in rejecting the federal government’s inadequate settlement and pressing forward to win this landmark victory for competition and the rule of law.”
The case will now move into a second phase, where the court will determine what remedies to impose on Live Nation.
State attorneys general continued pursuing the case after the U.S. Department of Justice, which initially joined the lawsuit, reached a settlement with Live Nation during the trial. State officials said the agreement did not go far enough to address the company’s alleged conduct or restore competition in the market.
Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 and has since acquired additional companies across the entertainment industry. According to the lawsuit, the company used long-term contracts with venues to require the use of Ticketmaster, limiting opportunities for competitors and contributing to higher fees for consumers.
Brown and other attorneys general said they chose to continue the case to secure stronger accountability.
“The case against Live Nation is strong, and the state coalition is committed to holding the company accountable for its illegal behavior, protecting consumers, and restoring competition to this market,” Brown said in an earlier statement. “The settlement recently announced does not adequately remedy the harms to the marketplace for live music and to concertgoers caused by Live Nation. We are willing and able to stand with other partner states to continue litigating this case without the federal government so that we can hold Live Nation accountable in court and secure appropriate relief in this case.”
The coalition included attorneys general from states across the country, including Oregon, California, New York, Texas and Illinois, among others.
