This is big. You need to pay attention to this.
On Tuesday (March 3), Live Nation’s antitrust hearing started in Manhattan, with the US Justice Department accusing the concert giant of wielding monopoly power to dominate ticketing and running “technology that is held together by duct tape”.
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The case, filed nearly two years ago, claims Live Nation and Ticketmaster have abused their market position to stifle competition, inflate ticket prices, and force artists to use its promotion services to access the venues it owns. At stake is potentially undoing the decade-old merger or awarding compensation to ticket buyers.
“We are here because they misuse their market power,” said David E. Dahlquist of the DoJ, calling the case “about power… the power of a monopolist to control competition.” Live Nation lawyer David R. Marriott countered, insisting the company does not hold a monopoly, makes minimal profits, and faces a highly competitive marketplace. “Live Nation and Ticketmaster are all about bringing joy to people’s lives, lawfully and legitimately,” he said.
Since the merger, complaints have piled up: artists losing money from touring, rising ticket prices, and rival companies claiming unfair competition. Dahlquist highlighted Ticketmaster’s stranglehold on 86 percent of major venues, and cited technical failures during Taylor Swift’s 2022 ‘Eras’ tour as evidence of the monopoly’s impact. “Their technology is held together by duct tape,” he said, while Marriott blamed bots for the issues.
The trial will see testimony from Kid Rock, Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett, rival ticketing execs, and venue representatives. The case follows broader scrutiny, including a late-2025 FTC lawsuit alleging Live Nation coordinated with brokers to resell tickets at huge markups… a practice the company disputes, claiming concerts are underpriced.
Across the pond, the UK has also raised concerns about market dominance. The Association Of Independent Festivals claims Live Nation controls more than 66 percent of arena and stadium tickets, far above the UK monopoly threshold. The Labour government is moving to cap resale prices and is consulting on a ticket levy to support grassroots venues, aiming for a voluntary contribution from arena and stadium shows by June 2026 with Live Nation under particular pressure to participate.
Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd warned that failure to comply would be a “direct consequence of the overwhelmingly dominant force in the arena and stadium market deciding not to deliver a voluntary levy,” urging the company to step up.
The hearing continues this week, as the live music world watches closely!
