AG Brown, bipartisan coalition win landmark verdict against Live Nation

Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of 32 other states and the District of Columbia have won a landmark verdict in an antitrust case against Live Nation for illegally monopolizing the live entertainment industry, driving up prices for consumers and harming performers and venues.

Washington and the other plaintiffs chose to continue the trial against Live Nation even after their co-plaintiff and trial lead counsel, the U.S. Department of Justice, reached a settlement mid-trial last month without meaningfully involving the states. Brown and the other attorneys general said the settlement did not go far enough to hold Live Nation accountable, help consumers, and restore competition.

"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 jury found in favor of the plaintiff states on all counts. The jury found Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster unlawfully maintained a monopoly in concert and ticketing markets through its exclusionary conduct, and that they illegally tied venues to concert promotion services. The case will now move to a new phase in which the court will determine what remedies to impose on the defendants.

Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 and began acquiring companies in the entertainment industry to neutralize rivals. Live Nation locks venues into long-term contracts with Ticketmaster to keep out competitors, resulting in higher fees for fans. In 2024, the Washington Attorney General's Office partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan group of attorneys general to file this antitrust lawsuit to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster's monopoly.

The Washington team handling the case included Assistant Attorneys General Jonathan A. Mark, Travis Kennedy, Ashley A. Locke, Rachel A. Lumen, and Paula Pera, and professional staff Tracy Jacoby, Michelle Oliver, Linda Grez, and Kjrsten Swan.

In addition to Washington, plaintiffs that shared in the court victory against Live Nation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

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