Live Nation has reached a preliminary settlement with the US Department of Justice to end a monopoly case over its control of ticket sales and concert promotion. The deal comes less than a week after trial began in New York and would avoid breaking up the company that owns Ticketmaster. A senior DoJ official confirmed the agreement.

Twenty-seven state attorneys-general refused to join the settlement, arguing it benefits Live Nation at consumers' expense. The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accused Live Nation of operating a monopoly that 'suffocates its competition' in the live entertainment industry through exclusionary conduct. The case followed the Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticketing fiasco in 2022 when Ticketmaster's website crashed under massive demand.

The settlement terms require Live Nation to offer technology access to competitors and potentially divest 13 amphitheatres, with more possible if additional states join. A DoJ official said the deal will 'open up markets for other competitors' and 'have a direct impact on prices coming down.' New York Attorney General Letitia James called the agreement 'a failure' that doesn't address the monopoly problem.