NY AG Sues Live Nation/Ticketmaster for Monopoly

NY Attorney General Press Releases

Filed March 9th, 2026

Detected March 10th, 2026

Summary

New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading a bipartisan group of 25 state attorneys general, announced they will continue their lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster for monopolizing the live entertainment industry. The states reject a recent settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, deeming it insufficient to address the core monopoly issues.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by attorneys general from 25 other states and the District of Columbia, has declared her intention to continue pursuing the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster. This action comes despite a recent settlement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice, which the states argue fails to adequately address the alleged monopoly at the heart of the case and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers. The states are committed to holding Live Nation accountable for its alleged exploitation of fans, venues, and artists.

This statement signals that regulated entities, particularly those in the live entertainment and ticketing sectors, should anticipate continued legal scrutiny and potential litigation from state-level enforcement actions. While no specific compliance deadline is mentioned, the ongoing nature of the lawsuit implies a need for companies to review their business practices for potential antitrust violations. The states' commitment to pursuing this case independently of the federal settlement underscores the seriousness of their allegations and the potential for significant legal challenges and remedies aimed at restoring competition.

What to do next

Review business practices for potential antitrust violations related to market dominance and exclusionary conduct.
Monitor ongoing litigation and any potential future actions by state attorneys general regarding antitrust enforcement in the live entertainment industry.

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General James Releases Statement on Live Nation Trial

March 9, 2026

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement on new developments in her ongoing lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster for illegally monopolizing the live entertainment industry:

“For years, Live Nation has made enormous profits by exploiting its illegal monopoly and raising costs for shows. My office has led a bipartisan group of attorneys general in suing Live Nation for taking advantage of fans, venues, and artists, and we are committed to holding Live Nation accountable.

“The settlement recently announced with the U.S. Department of Justice fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers. We cannot agree to it.

“My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.

“We will keep fighting this case without the federal government so that we can secure justice for all those harmed by Live Nation’s monopoly.”

Joining Attorney General James in continuing the lawsuit against Live Nation are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

For New York, this matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Jonathan Hatch, Luisa di Lauro, Pratik Agarwal, and Juliana Karp, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Amy McFarlane and Bureau Chief Elinor Hoffmann, all of the Antitrust Bureau. The Antitrust Bureau is a part of the Division of Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.