Winston Secures Transformative Antitrust Verdict for States in Live Nation and Ticketmaster Trial

A Winston & Strawn team, led by Jeffrey Kessler, secured an antitrust verdict on behalf of more than 30 states and the District of Columbia, with a Manhattan federal jury finding Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster liable for violating federal and state antitrust laws in a decision that has the potential to transform the concert, music, and ticketing industry. The jury concluded that Ticketmaster unlawfully maintained a monopoly in the primary ticketing market for major concert venues and that Live Nation unlawfully monopolized the large amphitheater market, compelling artists to use its promotion services to access its venues. Jurors further found that this conduct resulted in higher ticket fees, leading to an approximate $1.72 overcharge per ticket for consumers.

“It’s a great day for antitrust law. It’s a great day for consumers,” Jeffrey said following the verdict. “This case is a tribute to the 34 states and the District of Columbia who carried this case forward, and it was my great honor to be working with them together on this.”

The verdict follows a five-week trial pursued by a coalition of 33 states and Washington, D.C. that rejected the Department of Justice’s proposed settlement with Live Nation earlier in the proceedings. The case now moves to a remedies phase, where the court will determine injunctive relief, treble damages, and civil penalties.

The verdict was extensively covered, including by the following media outlets:

• “Jury Finds Live Nation Acts as a Monopoly in a Victory for States,” The New York Times
• “Jury finds that Ticketmaster and Live Nation had an anticompetitive monopoly over big concert venues,” Associated Press News
• “Live Nation illegally monopolized ticketing market, jury in antitrust trial finds,” NBC News
• “Jury finds that Ticketmaster and Live Nation had an anticompetitive monopoly over big concert venues,” The Washington Post
• “Live Nation Court Loss Leaves Breakup of Ticketer to Judge,” Bloomberg
• "Jury finds Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly and overcharged fans," CNN
  
• "Live Nation and Ticketmaster lose antitrust case," Axios
• "Ticketmaster-owner Live Nation ran a monopoly and overcharged fans, jury finds," BBC
• "Live Nation illegally monopolized the market for tickets, jury finds," ABC News
• "Live Nation Shares Fall After Jury Says It Operated Monopoly In Landmark Decision," Forbes
• Ticketmaster and Live Nation hold illegal monopolies, US jury finds," Reuters
• "Jury finds that Live Nation acted as a monopoly and overcharged ticket buyers," NPR
• "Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized big concert venues, jury rules," CBS News
• Live Nation and Ticketmaster had monopoly over big venues, US jury finds," The Guardian
• “Jury finds Ticketmaster and Live Nation operated illegal monopoly,” Los Angeles Times
• “Live Nation Verdict: Jury Says Concert Giant Is An Illegal Monopoly in Total Defeat,” Billboard
• “What to Know About the Live Nation Verdict and Its Effect on Ticket Prices,” Time
• “Jury Finds Live Nation Monopolized Concert Ticketing,” Law360
• “States triumph over Live Nation,” Global Competition Review
• “Live Nation Loses Jury Trial to States In Monopoly Case,” The Hollywood Reporter
• “Jury finds that Live Nation acted as an illegal monopoly,” Sports Business Journal
• “Ticketmaster and Live Nation Have Been Operating as Illegal Monopoly, Jury Determines in Landmark Verdict,” People
• “Live Nation and Ticketmaster Held Illegal Monopoly in Ticketing Market, Jury Finds,” Variety
• “Live Nation Operated as a Monopoly, Jury Finds,” Rolling Stone
• “Jury finds Ticketmaster, Live Nation had concert venue monopoly,” Fox 5 New York
• “Live Nation Court Loss Leaves Breakup of Ticketer to Judge,” Bloomberg Law
• “Ticketmaster and Live Nation had monopoly over big concert venues, jury finds,” PBS News