MANHATTAN — A FEDERAL JUDGE CLEARED an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster for trial, rejecting the company’s bid to dismiss claims brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, 40 other attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Judge Arun Subramanian of the Southern District of New York denied in part Live Nation’s motion for summary judgment, setting a March 2 trial date.
AG James first sued in May 2024, later filing an amended complaint seeking damages for New York consumers allegedly overcharged by the companies’ practices.
The suit contends Live Nation controls promotion, venue operations and ticketing, forcing venues to use Ticketmaster and squeezing out competitors. “Live Nation has used its monopoly to rig the live events industry to its benefit, driving up costs with higher ticket prices and outrageous fees,” James stated on Wednesday in a press release.
Live Nation responded to the lawsuit in 2024: “There is nothing new in the Amended Complaint — the lawsuit still won’t solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees and access to in-demand shows.”
The coalition spans 40 states and the District of Columbia, marking the most significant challenge to Ticketmaster’s dominance since Pearl Jam’s failed 1994 complaint.
