A federal judge has been officially tasked with deciding whether to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.
More than 30 states are asking Judge Arun Subramaniam to order the ticketing giant to sell a “substantial number” of the large amphitheatres, and limit its ability to limit access to its remaining amphitheaters for the use of its promotional services. In April, after a trial lasting more than a month, a jury found the company an illegal monopolist. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the initial treatment proposal does not include further divestitures of some other parts of Live Nation’s business. The Verge And earlier this week they were considering other outlets, but the states say they reserve the right to make additional requests as they get more information.
It’s not clear exactly how far Subramaniam would be willing to go in ordering treatment, but the requests go far beyond what the Justice Department got in a settlement with the company within a week of the trial. That deal included a promise to offload certain exclusive booking arrangements at more than a dozen amphitheatres, but not the sale of the venues themselves.
The states are also seeking measures that address specific allegations raised in the lawsuit, such as preventing retaliation or conditioning a venue’s ability to hold a concert on the ticketing platform they use. They also seek various types of monetary relief, including payment of higher charges on ticketing charges.
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