Judge rejects Live Nation bid to toss feds’ lawsuit alleging Ticketmaster’s monopoly on live concerts
NY Post
A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Live Nation Entertainment’s bid to dismiss a lawsuit by the federal government and many states accusing the company of illegally trying to dominate the live concert industry.
The decision by US District Judge Arun Subramanian cleared the way for a possible antitrust trial in Manhattan federal court, with jury selection scheduled to begin on March 2.
“There is a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether Live Nation has used monopoly power to foreclose competition,” Subramanian wrote.
Live Nation and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Shares of the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company fell more than 7% in after-hours trading shortly after the decision, before recovering those losses.
The May 2024 lawsuit by the Department of Justice, 39 states and Washington, DC, accused Live Nation of monopolizing markets for ticketing, concert-booking, venues and promotions, harming fans as well as performers.
