SEATTLE — Attorney General Nick Brown and a coalition of 32 other states and the District of Columbia secured a landmark jury verdict against Live Nation for illegally monopolizing the live entertainment industry, driving up prices for consumers and harming performers and venues.
The jury found in favor of the plaintiff states on all counts, determining that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster unlawfully maintained a monopoly in concert and ticketing markets through exclusionary conduct.
Washington and the other plaintiffs chose to continue the trial even after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement mid-trial last month. Brown and the other attorneys general said the settlement did not go far enough to hold Live Nation accountable.
“We’ve argued for years that Ticketmaster owner Live Nation has a monopoly that harms consumers, venues, artists, and competition,” Brown said. “Today, a jury agreed with us and has found Live Nation fully liable for its illegal conduct.”
The case will now move to a new phase in which the court will determine what remedies to impose on the defendants.
Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 and locks venues into long-term contracts with Ticketmaster to keep out competitors, resulting in higher fees for fans.
In 2024, the Washington Attorney General’s Office partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice and a bipartisan group of attorneys general to file this antitrust lawsuit.
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