By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department reached a settlement in its antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, on Monday in a case that alleged an illegal monopoly over live events in America.
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The settlement was confirmed by a person familiar with the matter who could not publicly discuss details of the agreement publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The terms of the deal were not immediately clear.
It comes as the two sides face trial in New York over whether to dismantle the monopoly the Justice Department said was squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
The case, brought under President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration in 2024, accused Live Nation of using threats, retaliation and other tactics to “suffocate the competition” by controlling virtually every aspect of the industry, from concert promotion to ticketing.
The Justice Department accused Live Nation of engaging in a slew of practices that have allowed it to maintain a stranglehold over the live music scene. The Justice Department has said the company uses long-term contracts to keep venues from choosing rival ticketers, blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers and threatening venues that they could lose money and fans if they don’t choose Ticketmaster.
Live Nation has maintained that artists and teams set prices and decide how tickets are sold.
Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment, based in Beverly Hills, California, have a long history of clashes with major artists and their fans, including Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.
Ticketmaster, which was established in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010, is the world’s largest ticket seller across live music, sports, theater and more.
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