Live Nation's antitrust trial resumed after a partial DOJ settlement, featuring testimony from CEO Michael Rapino on March 19. Rapino defended the company against monopoly claims and addressed embarrassing Slack messages about high fees. States aim to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
The Live Nation antitrust trial restarted on March 16 following a weeklong hiatus dubbed a 'spring break' by Judge Arun Subramanian, who welcomed the jury back. The Department of Justice had settled partially a week earlier, requiring Live Nation to limit certain practices, but states including New York and California pressed on, led by antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler. They plan to conclude their witnesses soon, allowing Live Nation's defense next before a jury verdict on monopoly status. On Thursday, March 19, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, in the role for two decades and overseer of the 2010 Ticketmaster merger, took the stand. He expressed being 'very proud' of serving artists and fans, denying claims of withholding shows from rival-ticketing venues: 'Yeah, we don’t do that.' On Ticketmaster exclusivity deals, Rapino stated, 'I don’t tell the billionaire what to do with his venue.' Testimony highlighted 2022 Slack messages from ticketing directors Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold. Baker shared a screenshot of over $666,000 in 2021 premier parking revenue, writing, 'Robbing them blind baby. That’s how we do.' Baker, now head of amphitheater ticketing, called his words 'immature,' 'unacceptable,' and 'indefensible' on March 17, explaining surprise at demand. Rapino deemed the language 'disgusting' and 'not the way we operate,' noting the employees remain at Live Nation as he planned to address it, favoring giving 'employees a break.' AEG Presents CEO Jay Marciano criticized Live Nation's market share and Ticketmaster fees but noted AEG's influence via promotions for artists like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, plus Coachella. Other witnesses included Live Nation executives Bob Roux, Mark Campana, Mike Evans, and ticketing reps Ed Khoury of Jump Platforms and Christian Lewis of Paciolan. The exchanges underscore states' arguments on promotion-ticketing leverage and fan-impacting greed, with Live Nation calling the messages an aberration.
