HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania and more than two dozen other states will continue pursuing a major antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, arguing that a newly announced federal settlement does not go far enough to protect consumers.
What This Means for You
- Ticket prices and service fees could remain a major legal battleground if the states succeed in continuing the case.
- The lawsuit seeks to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster or impose restrictions intended to increase competition.
- Pennsylvania officials say the case could affect how concerts and live events are priced and sold.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Monday that a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general will move forward with their lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster even after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with the companies.
After the Justice Department filed the settlement in federal court earlier in the day, the coalition submitted a motion asking the court to declare a mistrial in the states’ case. Additional court proceedings are scheduled for later this week.
The states argue the federal settlement does not adequately address what they describe as monopolistic behavior in the live entertainment industry.
Understanding the Antitrust Case
Antitrust laws are designed to prevent companies from dominating a market in ways that eliminate competition and harm consumers. In this case, the states allege that Live Nation — which promotes concerts and operates venues across the country — and Ticketmaster — one of the largest ticketing platforms in the world — together control too much of the live entertainment market.
In 2024, a coalition of 40 attorneys general joined the Justice Department in filing the lawsuit. The case claims the companies operate as an illegal monopoly by controlling concert promotion, venue operations, and ticket sales.
Pennsylvania officials say the issue affects consumers statewide.
In a recent year, Pennsylvanians spent about $1.5 billion dollars on live entertainment, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Attorney General Sunday said the states believe stronger legal action is necessary.
“Pennsylvania joined this bipartisan coalition because free markets require real competition,” Sunday said. “For too long, Ticketmaster has leveraged its monopoly to drive up prices and fees while limiting choices for fans, artists and venues. While the federal government has chosen to settle, Pennsylvania and our partner states are committed to continuing this case to hold Ticketmaster accountable and restore competition to the entertainment marketplace.”
Allegations Against Live Nation and Ticketmaster
According to the lawsuit, Live Nation allegedly maintains its dominance in ticketing markets through long-term exclusive contracts with venues.
The complaint also claims the company pressures venues by warning they could lose access to Live Nation-promoted tours and artists if they switch to competing ticket services.
Another allegation is that Live Nation uses its network of amphitheaters and concert venues to push artists to choose Live Nation as their promoter rather than competitors.
State officials say these practices have harmed consumers by increasing fees, reducing transparency in ticket pricing, limiting choices for venues and artists, and slowing innovation in ticketing services.
What the Lawsuit Seeks
The states are asking the court to impose several remedies intended to increase competition in the industry.
Those include requiring Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster — meaning the company would have to sell or separate the ticketing platform from its concert promotion and venue operations.
The lawsuit also seeks financial compensation for consumers who allegedly paid higher ticket prices because of limited competition.
In addition, the states are asking the court to prohibit Live Nation from engaging in what the lawsuit describes as anticompetitive practices.
The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The states continuing to pursue the case alongside Pennsylvania include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.