Concert Industry Is ‘Broken,’ Prosecutor Says as Live Nation-Ticketmaster Trial Begins
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The DOJ has accused the live-entertainment giant of wielding outsized control over the industry, but the company's lawyers claim it "did not have monopoly power" during opening statements
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Live Nation Trial Concert Industry Is ‘Broken,’ Prosecutor Says as Live Nation-Ticketmaster Trial Begins The DOJ has accused the live-entertainment giant of wielding outsized control over the industry, but the company's lawyers claim it "did not have monopoly power" during opening statements By Jon Blistein Jon Blistein Contact Jon Blistein by Email View all posts by Jon Blistein March 3, 2026 Federal prosecutors said Live Nation and Ticketmaster “illegally used their monopoly power to help themselves” instead of artists, fans, or venues during opening statements for the blockbuster antitrust trial . The case, which has the potential to completely reshape the live-entertainment industry, officially kicked off Tuesday, March 3, following jury selection yesterday. The federal government has accused Live Nation of using its network of venues to cajole artists into using its promotion services, while also forcing venues to sign exclusive, long-term contracts with Ticketmaster (which it acquired in 2010). “Today, the concert ticket industry is broken, in fact the concert industry itself is broken,” U.S. attorney David Dahlquist said during his opening statement (via The Guardian ). “It is controlled by a monopolist. It is controlled by Live Nation.” Live Nation has denied the allegations, and a lawyer for the company, David Marriott, insisted it “did not have monopoly power” during his opening statement. He argued instead that the live-entertainment “marketplace is more competitive than ever it has been before,” and asserted, “Every customer we get is a hard-fought battle in a competitive market” (via Law360 ). The Department of Justice filed its lawsuit , and insisted Live Nation and Ticketmaster be broken up, in May 2024. In the nearly two years it’s taken for the case to reach trial, the government has skirted Live Nation’s efforts to toss the suit. But the scope of the DOJ’s claims has narrowed, thanks in large part to a pre-trial ruling in February. In that summary ...
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