34 State Attorneys General Ask Court to Break Up Live Nation and Ticketmaster

A bipartisan coalition of 34 state attorneys general is asking a federal judge to force a breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, escalating an antitrust case that already produced a jury verdict against the company. The filing, announced Thursday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, asks the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to order Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster.

The states are also seeking divestiture of Live Nation-owned and operated major concert amphitheaters, along with related assets and arrangements. In addition to those structural remedies, the proposal asks for limits on future exclusive ticketing agreements, limits on tying amphitheater access to the use of Live Nation promotion services, and monetary relief including damages to consumers for ticket overcharges, civil penalties, disgorgement and restitution.

The request is significant because it goes beyond seeking new rules for how Live Nation can operate. The states are asking for structural antitrust remedies — a forced separation of businesses and assets — after arguing that earlier conduct restrictions did not stop the behavior found unlawful at trial. Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged in 2010 under a U.S. Department of Justice consent decree that imposed behavioral conditions. The states now argue those kinds of remedies proved inadequate and that Live Nation used control over ticketing, promotion and venues to shut out rivals and pressure artists.

“A jury found Live Nation manipulated the market, hurt artists, fans, and businesses nationwide, all while getting richer — not because it is better, but because it acted illegally. Now, it’s time to ensure they can’t hurt consumers or the live ticketing industry again,” Bonta said in a May 21 press release. He added: “Today, alongside a bipartisan coalition, I asked the court to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.”

The case began in 2024, when the Justice Department and multiple states sued Live Nation, alleging that its dominance in primary ticketing and concert amphitheater markets let it engage in anticompetitive conduct that harmed artists, fans and venues. The trial started March 2, 2026.

On April 15, 2026, a jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable for harming consumers and the live music industry through anticompetitive conduct, according to California’s attorney general. The jury also found that Ticketmaster overcharged consumers on tickets sold from May 2020 through 2024. That verdict resolved liability, but not the remedy. The judge will now decide what relief, if any, to impose, and the states’ new filing lays out the package they want.

The latest request also highlights a split in the government’s approach to the case. On March 9, the Justice Department announced a settlement with Live Nation, but a bipartisan group of state attorneys general rejected that deal and kept litigating. Their new filing marks a further escalation because it seeks divestitures, not just behavioral restrictions on contracts and business practices.

Live Nation, for its part, has said the case is not over. In a statement after the April verdict, the company said, “The jury’s verdict is not the last word on this matter. Pending motions will determine whether the liability and damages rulings stand.” The company also said after the verdict that it would continue to challenge the outcome through post-verdict motions and possible appeals.

The states say divesting amphitheaters is necessary because Live Nation’s venue ownership and operations helped it foreclose competing promoters and steer artists toward Live Nation promotion services. Their filing asks the court to unwind that leverage along with Ticketmaster’s place inside the broader Live Nation business.

The merger that combined Live Nation and Ticketmaster was approved in 2010 with conditions meant to police conduct. Now, after a jury verdict finding anticompetitive behavior, the court — not the states — will decide whether those conditions should give way to a court-ordered breakup and other divestitures.