WASHINGTON (TNND) — Live Nation reached a settlement with the Justice Department as its antitrust lawsuit days into a trial threatening to break up its business.
The deal requires Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, to pay around $200 million in damages to participating states, Politico reported. It will also require Ticketmaster to open parts of its platform to rival companies and allow them to list tickets using its technology.
It will also put limits on long-term exclusivity contracts Ticketmaster has used to get venues locked into its system. Those agreements will be limited to four years and allow venues to set aside a portion of their tickets to competing platforms, according to Politico.
The DOJ and 40 states attorneys general sued Live Nation in 2024, accusing the entertainment giant of using its market share to stomp out competition and retaliate against promoters and venues that threatened its position. They argued Live Nation and Ticket Master’s massive share of the marketplace pushed prices higher for fans to see their favorite artists and teams, an allegation the company has denied.
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Live Nation has claimed artists and teams set prices and dictate how tickets are sold but has faced bipartisan backlash in Washington and outrage from fans over struggles to get access to tickets and fees that pile on costs.
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