A federal jury ruled Live Nation and Ticketmaster operate an illegal monopoly, finding Ticketmaster overcharged fans by $1.72 per ticket across major concert venues nationwide.
The five-week trial in US District Court for the Southern District of New York produced four distinct findings: Ticketmaster unlawfully maintains a monopoly in ticketing services at major venues, Live Nation holds a monopoly in large amphitheaters, Live Nation illegally forces artists using its amphitheaters to also use its promotion services, and fans were systematically overcharged. The case was brought by a coalition of states led by New York Attorney General Letitia James after the Trump administration dropped out mid-trial.
Read the full piece for the trial evidence, including a Live Nation regional director who boasted in his own words about gouging ticket buyers and 'robbing them blind' on ancillary fees like minor parking upgrades. The remedy phase will determine what structural changes, potentially including a breakup of the 2010 Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, come next.
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