Live Nation and Ticketmaster ‘Must Be Separated,’ Say State AGs

Photo Credit: Raymond Yeung

A group of state attorneys general demand the breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster a month after the trial that determined them to be a monopoly.

On Thursday (May 21), the coalition of over 30 state attorneys general that sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster in a trial that found the live events giant to be in violation of antitrust law has demanded that Live Nation sell Ticketmaster. The states laid out their proposal in a much-anticipated legal brief, asserting that the only way to fix the live music business is to force the companies to split.

“An order requiring Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster, such that it is capable of restoring competition for primary ticketing contracts with Major Concert Venues,” the states wrote among a list of orders sought from the court. “Plaintiffs are evaluating the scope of assets, contracts, personnel, and systems that would be necessary for a standalone Ticketmaster to effectively compete in the market for primary ticketing services to Major Concert Venues.”

The states are also requesting that Live Nation be forced to divest a “sufficient number” of amphitheaters and face restrictions on acquiring new ones. Further, they demand monetary damages for “overcharges on ticketing fees paid by residents of the Plaintiff States,” as well as the handover of “ill-gotten profits derived from ticketing fees” during the time of the “unlawful monopoly.”

Live Nation will be filing formal motions in opposition in the coming weeks. The company is likely to argue that the case can be resolved simply by changes to its business practices, which were previously agreed upon with the Department of Justice, such as limiting its use of exclusive contracts.

Dozens of states and the DOJ sued Live Nation in 2024, alleging that the company—which acquired Ticketmaster in an approved merger in 2010—had grown into a monopoly that has dominated the live music industry for years.

But just a week after the case went to trial, the DOJ agreed to a sweetheart deal, blindsiding the court. However, the states deemed the deal insufficient and not in the public interest, and pushed ahead with the trial, asserting that the breakup of the two companies was the best path forward.

On April 15, the jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster had operated a monopoly, dominating the market for ticketing services and the use of amphitheaters, and illegally tying the use of its venues to its promotion services.