States, Live Nation Make Final Arguments in Antitrust Trial

Jury to begin deliberations after closing arguments in federal court case over Live Nation's alleged monopoly power.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 3:09am

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A minimalist studio photograph featuring a stack of concert tickets, a crumpled ticket stub, and a pair of backstage passes arranged on a clean, monochromatic background, conceptually representing the corporate strategy and market dynamics at the heart of the Live Nation antitrust case.As the high-stakes antitrust trial against Live Nation reaches its climax, the case's central issues of market dominance and consumer impact are distilled into a stark, premium still-life.Brooklyn Today

Attorneys for 34 states and Live Nation made their final arguments to a jury in a federal antitrust trial over Live Nation's dominance in the live entertainment industry. The states argued that Live Nation uses its interconnected businesses in promotion, venues, and ticketing to stifle competition and inflate ticket prices, citing internal emails that referred to "robbing them blind" and "taking advantage" of customers. Live Nation's lawyer countered that the company's size and competitiveness are not illegal, and that the live music sector has more competition than ever before. Potential penalties if the jury finds against Live Nation include breaking up the company.

Why it matters

This trial is a high-stakes test of the government's ability to rein in the power of major corporations, particularly in the live entertainment industry where Live Nation's Ticketmaster unit dominates ticket sales. The outcome could have significant implications for consumer prices and competition in the live events market.

The details

Jurors in the antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster are set to begin deliberations on Friday after hearing closing arguments from both sides. The 34 states involved in the case, which continued after the Justice Department reached its own settlement with the company, argued that Live Nation runs a powerful live entertainment monopoly that stifles rivals and inflates ticket costs. They cited internal emails and messages that used phrases like "robbing them blind" and "taking advantage of them" to suggest the company views itself as above the law. Live Nation's lawyer acknowledged the company's scale and dominance, but argued its actions are simply aggressive but lawful competition, not illegal monopolistic behavior. He said the live music sector is actually more competitive than ever before.

  • The jury is set to begin deliberations on Friday, April 10, 2026.

The players

Live Nation

A major live entertainment company that owns concert venues, promotes live events, and operates the dominant Ticketmaster ticketing platform.

Ticketmaster

A subsidiary of Live Nation that is the dominant provider of ticketing services for live events in the United States.

Jeffrey Kessler

An attorney representing the 34 states involved in the antitrust case against Live Nation.

David Marriott

The lawyer representing Live Nation in the antitrust trial.

Michael Rapino

The CEO of Live Nation, who testified during the trial about a recorded call in which he warned the Barclays Center it would be a "tough time to deliver tickets" if it switched ticketing providers.

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What’s next

The jury will begin deliberations on Friday, April 10, 2026 to determine whether Live Nation has violated antitrust laws. If the jury finds against the company, potential penalties could include breaking up Live Nation.

The takeaway

This high-profile antitrust trial against Live Nation and Ticketmaster is a crucial test of the government's ability to rein in the power of dominant corporations, particularly in the live entertainment industry where consumers have long complained about high ticket prices and lack of competition. The outcome could have significant implications for the future of the live events market.