It’s official: Ticketmaster is a monopoly. A jury in New York federal courtroom simply dominated that Reside Nation and Ticketmaster illegally dominated the reside occasions trade, vindicating everybody who’s ever punched their pc display whereas shopping for live performance tickets. The decision got here after a prolonged trial the place proof surfaced {that a} Ticketmaster worker had talked about “robbing followers blind.”
The Justice Division and 39 state attorneys basic sued Reside Nation in 2024, alleging its management of nearly each facet of the reside music ecosystem harmed followers, artists and venues. Mid-trial, the DOJ minimize a secret settlement requiring Reside Nation to cap service charges at 15% and permit opponents like SeatGeek to promote tickets to its occasions. The deal features a $280 million fund for damages.
Greater than two dozen states rejected the settlement and pushed for trial anyway, securing the monopoly verdict. Now the query is whether or not that 15% charge cap will truly make tickets inexpensive — or simply barely much less painful.
It’s official: Ticketmaster is a monopoly. A jury in New York federal courtroom simply dominated that Reside Nation and Ticketmaster illegally dominated the reside occasions trade, vindicating everybody who’s ever punched their pc display whereas shopping for live performance tickets. The decision got here after a prolonged trial the place proof surfaced {that a} Ticketmaster worker had talked about “robbing followers blind.”
The Justice Division and 39 state attorneys basic sued Reside Nation in 2024, alleging its management of nearly each facet of the reside music ecosystem harmed followers, artists and venues. Mid-trial, the DOJ minimize a secret settlement requiring Reside Nation to cap service charges at 15% and permit opponents like SeatGeek to promote tickets to its occasions. The deal features a $280 million fund for damages.
Greater than two dozen states rejected the settlement and pushed for trial anyway, securing the monopoly verdict. Now the query is whether or not that 15% charge cap will truly make tickets inexpensive — or simply barely much less painful.
