Jury finds Ticketmaster and Live Nation operate illegal monopoly

Verdict could force Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster and open up access to venues

Apr. 16, 2026 at 5:53am

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A minimalist studio still life featuring a stack of crumpled concert tickets, a broken ticket scanner, and a shattered smartphone screen on a clean white background, symbolizing the financial and strategic impact of the Ticketmaster-Live Nation monopoly verdict.The Ticketmaster-Live Nation monopoly verdict casts a shadow over the live events industry, exposing the high costs and lack of consumer choice.NYC Today

A New York jury has found that Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation operate an illegal monopoly in the U.S. live events market. The verdict could lead to Live Nation facing claims for damages from states and potentially being forced to sell Ticketmaster. The jury found that Live Nation made the use of its venues conditional on artists accepting its promotion services, echoing complaints from artists like Kid Rock about lack of control over ticket sales.

Why it matters

The ruling is a major blow to Live Nation, which has faced longstanding criticism from artists, lawmakers, and consumers over its dominance of the live events industry. If the verdict stands, it could lead to significant changes in how tickets are sold and distributed, potentially giving artists and consumers more control and choice.

The details

The jury found that Live Nation had illegal monopolies in the market for ticketing services to major venues like amphitheaters. It said the company made the use of its venues conditional on artists accepting its promotion services, a practice that has drawn criticism from artists like Kid Rock who have called for more control over ticket sales.

  • The jury delivered its verdict on April 16, 2026.
  • In January 2026, musician Kid Rock criticized Ticketmaster and Live Nation, saying 'No artists should be forced to sell their tickets without a say in who sells them and how they are sold.'

The players

Ticketmaster

A major ticket sales and distribution company that is a subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment.

Live Nation Entertainment

A large live events and entertainment company that owns Ticketmaster and operates many major concert venues and amphitheaters.

Letitia James

The Attorney General of New York who said the jury found 'what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process.'

Kid Rock

A musician who has been a vocal critic of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, testifying before Congress that 'artists should control who sells their tickets and how.'

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What they’re saying

“Should Ticketmaster and Live Nation be broken up? Probably. Would that alone fix things? Not sure it would, but I am sure of this. No artists should be forced to sell their tickets without a say in who sells them and how they are sold.”

— Kid Rock, Musician

“A jury found what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process.”

— Letitia James, New York Attorney General

What’s next

Live Nation has legal challenges pending that could undermine the verdict, but if it stands, the company could face claims for damages from U.S. states and potentially be forced to sell Ticketmaster.

The takeaway

This ruling is a significant victory for critics who have long argued that Ticketmaster and Live Nation's dominance of the live events industry has led to higher prices and less choice for consumers. If the verdict is upheld, it could pave the way for more competition and give artists and fans more control over ticket sales.