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States Press Ahead With Live Nation Antitrust Trial After Federal Settlement

By  |  March 15, 2026

A coalition of more than 20 states and Washington, D.C., will continue pursuing an antitrust case against Live Nation after the federal government reached a settlement with the live-entertainment company earlier this week.

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    On Friday, March 13, the attorneys general leading the remaining case withdrew a previously filed request for a mistrial. During a court hearing, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said proceedings would resume Monday, March 16, according to Inner City Press. The states had declined to sign onto the U.S. Department of Justice’s settlement with Live Nation and were unable to negotiate a separate agreement with the company during discussions earlier in the week.

    The case will move forward before the same jury that had already begun hearing testimony. Jay Marciano, the chief executive of Live Nation competitor AEG, is expected to continue testimony that began last week. To handle the remainder of the trial, the coalition of states has retained prominent antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler as outside counsel, according to The New York Times.

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    The lawsuit originally brought together nearly 40 states along with Washington, D.C., when the federal government accused Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster in 2024 of maintaining an illegal monopoly in the live-events marketplace. Live Nation has denied the allegations. When federal officials reached a settlement earlier this week, some states chose to support the agreement, while others argued the terms did not sufficiently address their concerns, according to The New York Times.

    Read more: States Vow to Continue Antitrust Fight Against Live Nation Despite DOJ Settlement

    As of Friday, Arkansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska had formally agreed to the settlement, with Oklahoma, South Carolina, Iowa, and Mississippi expected to follow. However, more than 20 states opted to continue the case independently.

    Judge Subramanian had previously encouraged Live Nation and the remaining states to attempt a compromise before the trial resumed. During a hearing on March 10, he instructed both sides to try to reach an agreement by the end of the week. But prospects for a deal appeared slim. Dan Wall, a senior executive at Live Nation and the company’s former antitrust lawyer, told the court that the chances of a universal agreement were “about zero” due to the large number of parties involved.

    The judge also indicated that the court was prepared for the possibility that negotiations would fail. Although the holdout states filed a motion seeking a mistrial and a 60-day pause so they could assume full control of the case, Subramanian told both sides to be ready to return to court Monday if talks collapsed.

    With negotiations unsuccessful, the states will now proceed with the trial on their own, continuing to challenge Live Nation’s dominance in the live entertainment and ticketing industries.

    Source: The New York Times