Ticketmaster
Live Nation settles DOJ antitrust lawsuit without Ticketmaster divestiture amid state opposition
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Live Nation reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in a long-running antitrust lawsuit, avoiding a breakup with Ticketmaster but agreeing to operational changes, including amphitheater divestments and opening ticketing to competitors. The deal, announced during trial on March 9, 2026, drew criticism from several state attorneys general who plan to continue separate litigation.
Jack Antonoff criticized Ticketmaster after the company claimed to have caught scalpers buying Harry Styles tickets for his upcoming Madison Square Garden residency. The Bleachers frontman responded to their announcement with a pointed question on X: “You caught you?” Antonoff has long voiced opposition to Ticketmaster's practices.
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Stephen Parker, head of the National Independent Venue Association, urged structural remedies including a full Live Nation-Ticketmaster breakup following the April jury verdict finding the companies liable for monopolization and unlawful tying. He argued past behavioral fixes failed and called for promotion caps, artist management divestitures, and a long-term firewall.