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United States v. Live Nation (Justice Department suit and settlement)

Filed on 23 May 2024 by the Justice Department and states. On 9 March 2026, a week into trial, the department and several states settled: Live Nation keeps Ticketmaster, divests 13 exclusive amphitheater booking agreements and caps ticket fees at its large amphitheaters, admitting nothing. The agreement is still before the judge under the Tunney Act, and 17 states and D.C. told him it could entrench Ticketmaster.

5 links, 1 backed by primary records

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Dates
23 May 2024 –

A settlement is not a finding. Reports to late October 2026 show no ruling on whether the judge will approve it.

Connections 5

involved

  • Live Nation Entertainment defendant; settled with the department and keeps Ticketmaster; denies the allegations Self-published 1
  • U.S. Department of Justice plaintiff; alleged these shares; settled; the fee cap applies to amphitheaters Live Nation owns, operates or controls Primary record 2
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York the court; judge Arun Subramanian is reviewing the settlement Scholarship & press 34
  • Donald Trump Live Nation’s amended court filing says he briefly appeared at the 5 March settlement meeting and took no part in substantive discussions, and that in February he asked Rapino about the lawsuit; the filing is Live Nation’s account Scholarship & press 5
  • U.S. Federal Trade Commission brought a separate suit on ticket pricing and resale (C.D. Cal.); not part of this case Scholarship & press 6
Timeline 1 date
  1. 23 May 2024 – United States v. Live Nation (Justice Department suit and settlement)
Proof 6 sources
  1. Live Nation Entertainment Reaches Settlement With U.S. Department of Justice, Live Nation Entertainment, 9 Mar 2026. Self-published
    This settlement will resolve all remaining matters with the DOJ, without any admission of wrongdoing
    We have never relied on exclusivity to drive our ticketing business, it has simply been the result of having the best products, services and people in the industry.
  2. United States et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.; Proposed Final Judgment and Competitive Impact Statement, Federal Register 91 FR (6 July 2026), U.S. Department of Justice, 6 Jul 2026. Primary record
    And, of course, through Ticketmaster, Live Nation controls roughly 80% or more of major concert venues’ primary ticketing for concerts and a growing share of ticket resales in the secondary market.
    Additionally, Defendants may not charge service fees in excess of 15% for any tickets sold via Ticketmaster for events at those amphitheaters.
  3. Congressional Antitrust Report Highlights Live Nation Settlement in Criticism of Trump DOJ, TicketNews, Oct 2026. Scholarship & press
    The DOJ agreement remains subject to judicial review under the Tunney Act
  4. State AGs: Live Nation Deal Could Entrench Ticketmaster, TicketNews, Sep 2026. Scholarship & press
    the state enforcers argue that the proposed final judgment is “vague, ambiguous, and not reasonably calculated to meaningfully restore competition,” while some provisions could “further entrench Ticketmaster’s market power by positioning it as a gatekeeper.”
  5. Live Nation Amends Trump DOJ Settlement Disclosure, TicketNews, Oct 2026. Scholarship & press
    President Trump briefly appeared at this meeting but did not participate in any substantive settlement discussions.
  6. FTC Demands Jury Trial in Live Nation Lawsuit, TicketNews, Oct 2026. Scholarship & press
    The Federal Trade Commission has formally demanded a jury trial in its ongoing lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster
Page history 3 changes
  1. Second revision of Too Big to Fail: the FTC's 1917 finding, the 1952 report's seven firms, the 1984 hearing record, and corrected cards for Spirit, beef, tickets, Google and the final verdictAlibek05663c47
  2. Revise Too Big to Fail after the skeptic's review: read to 2 November 2026, a verdict card that separates findings from shares, the 1929 fight with its scandal and the board's stand, and sources for every cardAlibekc819f2cb
  3. Add the story Too Big to Fail: Standard Oil's stockholders, the phrase's origin in 1984, and market-by-market cases to November 2026Alibekaa9c434d

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