Jury finds that Ticketmaster and Live Nation had an anticompetitive monopoly over big concert venues

A jury in Manhattan federal court found Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary guilty of maintaining an anticompetitive monopoly over major concert venues. The verdict, reached after four days of deliberation, concludes a civil case initially brought by the U.S. federal government and later joined by dozens of states. The lawsuit accused Live Nation of stifling competition by preventing venues from using multiple ticket sellers. Attorneys for the states argued that Live Nation's practices drove up ticket prices, while the company defended its size as a result of success and denied monopolistic behavior, stating that artists and venues set prices. Live Nation owns, operates, controls booking for, or has an equity interest in hundreds of venues.