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Antitrust Case Against Live Nation Moves Toward Jury Trial

By  |  February 19, 2026
Live Nation

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. will face a federal antitrust trial after a judge declined to dismiss key portions of a sweeping lawsuit brought by the US Justice Department and a coalition of states, according to Bloomberg. The ruling keeps alive claims that could ultimately threaten the company’s ownership of its Ticketmaster business.

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    In a 44-page decision issued Wednesday, US District Judge Arun Subramanian said a jury should evaluate whether the company’s conduct in the live concert industry constitutes unlawful monopolization. A trial is set to begin March 2.

    According to Bloomberg, the judge allowed the government to move forward with allegations that Live Nation improperly links access to its amphitheaters with the use of its concert promotion services and maintains dominance in the ticketing market. However, Subramanian dismissed other claims, including accusations that the company monopolizes the concert promotion sector and harms consumers through inflated ticket prices.

    The lawsuit, filed in 2024 by the Justice Department and roughly 30 state attorneys general, alleges that Live Nation has entrenched its power across multiple segments of the live events business. The company had asked the court to resolve the matter without proceeding to trial.

    Rad more: State Attorneys General Signal They Will Continue Antitrust Fight Against Live Nation if DOJ Settles

    Per Bloomberg, the complaint outlines the company’s significant footprint in the industry. Live Nation operates more than 265 concert venues across North America and manages more than 400 musical artists. The government further alleges that through its Ticketmaster subsidiary, the company controls approximately 87% of the concert ticketing market and over 65% of the concert promotion market.

    In his ruling, Subramanian wrote that Live Nation “vastly overstated” the competitiveness of the ticketing market. He added that “the government plausibly paints a grim picture for new entrants.”

    Live Nation welcomed parts of the decision. In a statement, the company said it was “grateful that the district court dismissed all claims in the concert promotions and concert booking markets. With those claims gone, we see no possible basis for breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The deficiencies we identified in the government’s monopoly power and conduct claims have not gone away, and we continue to believe that we will prevail in the end.”

    Source: Bloomberg