Live Nation Takes Arbitration Battle to the Supreme Court

Live Nation is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for permission to engage consumers in arbitration instead of facing a large antitrust lawsuit.

Why it matters:

The consumer antitrust lawsuit claims Live Nation and Ticketmaster have too much control over ticket prices, access and competition in the live music market. As per Digital Music News, Live Nation's May 5 petition asks the court to consider its appeal following the Supreme Court's upholding of a lower court's decision to strike down Ticketmaster's arbitration rules. Live Nation argues this goes against the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), which protects arbitration agreements.

The appeal:

The Supreme Court is being asked to consider two points: that mass arbitration should still be valid under federal law, and that California's rules for striking down arbitration clauses are too strict.

What's next:

The consumer antitrust lawsuit is moving forward in California, with discovery procedures underway. The Department of Justice's antitrust action against Live Nation is scheduled for March 2026.