Live Nation's Antitrust Trial Begins Today

The antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation has officially commenced in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. The trial is expected to last at least a month.

The proceedings:

• Following the trial, should a jury find Live Nation guilty, the judge can order Ticketmaster and Live Nation to break apart.

• Live Nation is able to appeal the decision all the way up to the Supreme Court, which can decide whether or not to hear the case.

• Live Nation’s President and CEO, Michael Rapino, and President and CFO, Joe Berchtold, are expected to testify this week.

• Other potential witnesses include Irving Azoff, AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano, Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger, Oak View Group CEO Chris Granger, Kid Rock, and Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett.

Background:

• The US Department of Justice and 40 state attorneys sued Live Nation in 2024.

• U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian recently dismissed claims surrounding a monopoly in the concert promotion industry and the ticketing market’s impact on fans.

• The claims being pursued are related to a monopolization of the venue-facing ticketing market, the tie between amphitheatre ownership and the promotion business, and state-level issues.

What they said:

• Subramanian via summary judgment: “A jury must decide whether the exclusive contracts are the product of coercion (as there’s some evidence for) or venue preference (as there’s some evidence for). There is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether Live Nation has used monopoly power to foreclose competition.”

• Dan Wall, Live Nation Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs: “We are grateful that the district court dismissed all claims in the concert promotions and concert booking markets. With those claims gone, we see no possible basis for breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.”