Signs are seen at the Live Nation NYC headquarters on May 23, 2024 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images
Live Nation Entertainment has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice over antitrust concerns surrounding its Ticketmaster platform, a senior DOJ official said Monday.
The settlement would see Ticketmaster unwind some of its exclusivity agreements with musical artists and open up the ticketing industry to greater competition. It still needs approval by more than 20 states that had filed suit and by the court.
As part of the settlement, Ticketmaster will offer a standalone third-party ticketing system for other companies like SeatGeek to use its technology. Live Nation has also agreed to divest at least 13 of its amphitheaters and will no longer be able to require artists to use other Live Nation products tied to its venues. It has also agreed to pay roughly $280 million in civil penalties.
Shares of Live Nation rose 5% in morning trading. Live Nation and Ticketmaster did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ticketmaster has long faced criticism that its dominance in the live events and ticketing space pushes up prices for consumers. The company has come under heightened scrutiny in recent years from fans who argue that it’s become harder and pricier to snag coveted event tickets.
In 2022, the backlash boiled over when the rollout of tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was mishandled, leading to a probe of the company. And in 2024, the DOJ — along with more than two dozen states — sued to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which merged in 2010.
In September, Live Nation was separately sued by the Federal Trade Commission over what the agency called “illegal” ticket resale tactics. The FTC said Ticketmaster controls roughly 80% of major concert venues’ ticketing.
In a Monday statement, New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office would continue to fight against Live Nation’s alleged monopoly even after its agreement with the DOJ.
“The settlement recently announced with the U.S. Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers. We cannot agree to it,” said James, who is joined by the attorneys general of more than 20 other states.
