00:00A jury in Manhattan federal court found Wednesday that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster
00:05illegally maintained monopoly power in the ticketing market, delivering a stunning verdict
00:11after roughly five weeks of trial and testimony from dozens of witnesses.
00:15The complaint originally brought by the Justice Department and State Attorneys General in 2024
00:21alleged that Live Nation monopolized the industry by controlling ticketing, concert booking,
00:27venues and promotions, resulting in fans paying higher fees, artists having fewer options for
00:33touring and venues being coerced into using Ticketmaster. In a major twist, the Trump DOJ
00:39shocked the court by settling Live Nation in early March, just days after the trial began for a
00:45$280 million fund for participating states. More than 30 states, including California, Texas and New
00:53York, continued to litigate with high-powered attorney Jeffrey Kessler, ultimately winning
00:58the jury's verdict today. The verdict could cost the company's hundreds of millions of dollars.
01:03The jury found Ticketmaster overcharged consumers by $1.72 per ticket across 22 states alone,
01:11and a judge could still order the company to divest venues or even spin off Ticketmaster entirely.
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