Virginia presses on in Live Nation legal fight
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The U.S. government said it reached a settlement in its antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation on Monday, but Virginia is one of the states pushing forward with the legal fight against the ticketing giant.
Why it matters: The settlement — which still needs a judge's sign-off — means Live Nation won't need to divest Ticketmaster or any other assets.
- That's despite the Department of Justice's previous argument that the corporate tie-up created an illegal monopoly that hurt consumers and performers.
State of play: Per the settlement, Live Nation's concert venues would be available for other promoters to book, and those promoters could decide how to distribute and sell up to half of the tickets, Live Nation said in a statement.
- Service fees would be capped at 15% of face value.
- As part of its loosening of control over venues, Live Nation would also divest 13 exclusive booking agreements with amphitheaters nationwide.
- Ticketmaster, which Live Nation acquired in 2010 and was the focus of the antitrust dispute, would offer both exclusive and non-exclusive ticketing proposals to major venues, which could also choose to distribute a portion of tickets through other primary marketplaces.
By the numbers: While there's no financial component to the settlement with the DOJ, Live Nation set aside $280 million to pay damage claims brought by states.
What they're saying: "Live Nation's reported settlement amount — $280 million — is the equivalent of 4 days of their 2025 revenue, which means they could potentially make it back by this Friday," Stephen Parker, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association, said in a statement.
Zoom in: Virginia was one of dozens of states that joined the DOJ's case in 2024 under then-Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican.
- This week, new state Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat, was one of more than two dozen Republican and Democratic state attorneys who filed a motion for a mistrial after the agreement was announced.
- "The settlement recently announced does not adequately remedy the harms to the marketplace for live music and to concertgoers caused by Live Nation," Jones said in a statement.
What we're watching: If a settlement between Live Nation and the states still pursing the lawsuit can't be reached, the parties should expect to proceed to trial on Monday, the federal judge presiding over the case said at a Tuesday hearing, per the New York Times.