Justice Department & Live Nation Reportedly Reach Settlement In Antitrust Case

Live Nation reached a settlement with the Justice Department in its antitrust case, ending the Federal trial less than a week after testimony began, according to multiple outlets reporting on the agreement. The deal is centered on structural changes to Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, while preventing the full breakup the government had originally sought when the case was filed nearly two years ago.

The Justice Department and 40 state attorneys general, including Washington, D.C., sued Live Nation in May 2024 under the Biden administration, alleging the company built and maintained an illegal monopoly over live events through its control of ticketing, venues and artist promotion. Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and Omeed Assefi, the acting assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, met in person on Thursday, March 5, to negotiate the settlement terms, according to NBC News.

According to a Live Nation press release, it “will be divesting its 13 exclusive booking agreements with amphitheaters nationwide. All owned and operated amphitheaters will continue to be operated by Live Nation as open venues, promoting competition and maximizing show volume.” Additionally, Live Nation stated: “There is no financial component to the settlement with the DOJ. This does not settle the claims of all plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and the company has created a $280 million settlement fund to address the states’ damages claims.”

“Today marks a major step in improving the concert experience for artists and fans throughout the United States,” said Rapino. “Live Nation is proud to lead the way enhancing this experience with our amphitheaters, which will be open to all promoters, allowing these promoters to decide how best to distribute up to 50% of the tickets, and capping ticketing service fees at 15%. By giving artists greater flexibility in choosing their promotional partners and ticketing strategy while also keeping the cost of a concert more affordable for fans, we are putting more power where it should be – with artists and fans.”

The settlement was disclosed in open court Monday morning, which The New York Times said prompted a pointed response from Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the trial must approve the agreement. Outside the presence of the jury, lawyers informed the judge that Live Nation and the Justice Department had signed the deal the previous Thursday, a fact neither side disclosed during a meeting in his chambers the following Friday morning.

Trial testimony had included accounts from executives at three venues who said Live Nation employees, including Rapino, had threatened to withhold concerts from venues that declined to use Ticketmaster as their exclusive ticketing partner. John Abbamondi, former chief executive of the parent company of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, testified that Rapino threatened to divert concerts from the arena after it chose a rival ticketer.

In 2020, Ticketmaster faced a $3 million fine from the Department of Justice due to breaches of a consent decree stemming from its merger with Live Nation. The decree, originally established in 2010, was extended into 2025. Under the extension, Ticketmaster must ensure its adherence to the decree, facing a $1 million penalty for any subsequent violations.

The antitrust case initially garnered bipartisan support, gaining momentum after a 2022 Ticketmaster debacle that left fans unable to purchase tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.

In 2023, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) – chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights – co-led a hearing before the subcommittee titled “That’s The Ticket: Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment.” Executives from Live Nation appeared at the hearing and were questioned about the company’s practices related to ticket sales, fees and other aspects of the live music industry.

Some of the states involved in the litigation objected to the settlement terms and said they would seek a mistrial. States can continue to pursue their own claims outside of the DOJ agreement. New York Attorney General Letitia James said the state would continue the case independently.

“We will keep fighting this case without the federal government,” James said, “so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation’s monopoly.”

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[This article has been updated.]