A lawsuit involving dozens of states, including New York, has won their lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
A jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated federal and state antitrust laws by eliminating competition and driving up costs for fans, artists, and venues across the country.
Live Nation reached a deal with the Department of Justice in March to pay $280 million to states that sued the company over its practices. However, a coalition of more than 30 states rejected the federal settlement and vowed to move forward with litigation, with New York Attorney General Letitia James describing the suit as an effort to “restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.”
After a five-week trial, the jury found that the attorneys general successfully proved that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have unlawfully maintained and abused their monopoly power preventing other ticketing services, venue owners, and concert promoters from successfully competing. As a result, fans have been charged higher prices for tickets.
The judge in the case will now determine the total damages amount and penalties.
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