This op-ed was written by Letitia James and Jonathan Skrmetti, attorneys general for New York and Tennessee, respectively. Both were deeply involved with the recent antitrust suit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which ended last week with a jury finding the company liable for operating as a monopoly. New York and Tennessee were also among the 33 states, plus Washington, D.C., that proceeded with the case after the Department of Justice settled with Live Nation mid-trial.
Last month, customers of Live Nation learned that company executives love “robbing them blind” because they are “so stupid.” Behind closed doors, these executives bragged about “goug[ing]” customers in every possible way, such as by charging “$50 to park in the grass” and “$60 to park in closer grass.”
Their CEO led by example. For instance, he banned customers from bringing lawn chairs to an outdoor venue — for their safety, he said — and then turned around and made millions of dollars renting them lawn chairs.
For many Americans, that didn’t come as a surprise. It confirmed what they already knew from experience.
Anyone who has tried to buy a concert ticket in recent years knows the feeling. You log on early to an unreliable platform, wait in a digital line, finally secure a seat — and then watch the price balloon with a cascade of mysterious fees. Service fees. Convenience fees. Processing fees. Facility fees. By the time you check out, the cost has exploded.
For decades, fans said the system was rigged. Artists complained about excessive fees. Venue owners were forced to contend with Live Nation’s bullying. In functional markets, companies that behave that way won’t last long. The live events market is broken.
That’s why we built a coalition of 40 state attorneys general to sue Live Nation and Ticketmaster for maintaining illegal monopolies in the live events industry. Our lawsuit showed that they unfairly manipulated the marketplace in their favor. They locked venues into exclusive contracts, forced competitors out of the industry, and limited artists’ choices of where they could perform.
Last week, a jury agreed.
After a five-week trial, our coalition of attorneys general proved that Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s illegal monopoly drives up prices and hurts fans, artists, and venues across the country.
The verdict was clear: we won on every count.
This case was never about one bad fee or one frustrating checkout experience. It was about how one company came to dominate nearly every aspect of live events — from promoting shows to owning venues to selling tickets — and then used that power to take advantage of consumers.
The result? Higher prices, fewer options, and a worse experience for fans, artists, and venues alike.
The evidence was overwhelming. The jury found that fans were overcharged for tickets as a direct result of this monopoly, paying higher fees for their tickets.
Letitia James and Jonathan Skrmetti
Will Waldron/Albany Times Union/Getty Images; George Walker IV/AP
For decades, artists and fans alike have raised the alarm. Way back in 1994, Pearl Jam accused Ticketmaster of using its dominance to block competition and punish those who challenged its pricing. More recently, fans trying to buy tickets for major tours, like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Bruce Springsteen, and Harry Styles have faced sky-high prices, system failures, and a lack of real alternatives.
Until now, little has changed.
This verdict is a turning point for the live events industry and for every American who has felt powerless in the face of rising ticket costs. It affirms that no company, no matter how powerful, is above the law. And it proves that strong antitrust enforcement works.
This was a bipartisan effort, led by state attorneys general from across the country and across the political spectrum, because this isn’t a partisan issue. Fair markets are the foundation of our nation’s economy. Competition drives innovation, lowers prices, and gives consumers real choice. When companies break those rules, it’s our job to step in.
We are going to fix this broken system. In the coming months, we will ask the court to impose remedies that restore competition and deliver real relief to fans. That includes financial consequences for the company and, more importantly, a breakup of Live Nation’s monopoly.
We’re fighting for a live events marketplace where fans come first, where artists have real autonomy, and where buying a ticket doesn’t feel like a race to break the bank. The only way to get there is through real competition.
For too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster held fans captive. Now that era is coming to an end.
