Jury says Ticketmaster and Live Nation ran monopoly, hiked up ticket prices

As of now, it’s unclear, exactly, what tangible impact this verdict will have—Judge Arun Subramanian has yet to decide potential remedies, and lawyers on both sides have been told to meet with each other “and the United States” to propose a schedule for future motions. There’s a chance that the lawsuit could end up forcing Live Nation and Ticketmaster to cough up hundreds of millions of dollars, divest themselves of certain amphitheaters and venues, or even—fingers crossed—split up their own partnership (which, for what it’s worth, is what Attorney General Merrick Garland was hoping for when he filed the lawsuit two years ago). Whatever the case, it’s likely to have legitimate, wide-ranging implications for the ticketing industry as a whole.

None of this means, however, that our event tickets will actually end up any cheaper, at least not in the near future. The remedies will largely be targeted at the industry’s conduct and creating a healthily competitive environment, not directly at the ticket prices themselves. It is a change, undoubtedly, but one that will likely take a while to trickle down enough for us consumers to see any real difference. 

“This is a historic and resounding victory for artists, fans, and the venues that support them. In the face of dwindling antitrust enforcement by the Trump administration, this verdict shows just how far states can go to protect our residents from big corporations that are using their power to illegally raise prices and rip off Americans,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of today’s outcome—and especially proud of our coalition made up of red and blue states alike who understood we needed to come together to protect our consumers, businesses, and state economies from Live Nation’s illegal conduct.”