Kenneth Glad
A settlement meant to calm one of the biggest antitrust fights in US entertainment has instead opened a new rift in court.
What looked like a step toward resolution is now facing resistance from state prosecutors, judicial anger and renewed questions about who controls the live music business.
The federal judge handling the US monopoly case against Live Nation reacted sharply after learning the company and the Justice Department had already signed a proposed settlement without telling the court, the BBC reports.
Judge Arun Subramanian said the way it unfolded showed “absolute disrespect for the court, the jury and this entire process” and called it “absolutely unacceptable.”
Politico first reported the agreement. Under its terms, Live Nation would allow venues to use more than one ticketing provider, let artists bring in other promoters when performing at its venues, sell as many as 13 concert halls and pay $280m to nearly 40 states involved in the case.
That did not settle the matter.
Several states have refused to back the deal and want to continue pursuing their claims, an unusual split in a major antitrust case, where state and federal authorities more often present a united front.
Beyond the deal
New York Attorney General Letitia James said: “For years, Live Nation has made enormous profits by exploiting its illegal monopoly and raising costs for shows.”
She added that the proposed settlement “fails to address the monopoly at the centre of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers.”
The wider case grew out of the uproar over Ticketmaster’s sale of Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets in 2022. Fans were left stuck in long online queues, and the fallout helped push Ticketmaster and Live Nation back under political and legal scrutiny in Washington, according to the BBC.
Since taking control of Ticketmaster in 2010, Live Nation has built a vast position across concert promotion, ticketing and venues. BBC writes that the company organised more than 55,000 concerts in 2025 and drew 159 million attendees worldwide.
Evidence heard in court has focused on how that reach may have been used. Former Barclays Center executive John Abbamondi testified that chief executive Michael Rapino warned it would “be a tough time to deliver tickets or concerts, with a new competitor in town” after the arena chose SeatGeek.
Live Nation denies the remark was a threat and argues that artists and venues, not Ticketmaster, are mainly responsible for prices and fees.
Sources: BBC, Politico
