A looming antitrust jury trial could get iced if an appeals court steps in, because Live Nation and Ticketmaster are trying to slam the brakes before things even start.
Live Nation seeks trial pause
Live Nation seeks trial pause
- Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster asked to halt the DOJ trial.
- Filing landed in the Southern District of New York on February 22.
- The company wants an interlocutory appeal before any jury gets seated.
- Jury selection is currently slated for March 2.
- Judge Arun Subramanian trimmed parts of the government’s monopoly case.
- Promotion-market monopoly claims were tossed at summary judgment.
- Ticketmaster venue exclusivity allegations survived and head to trial.
- Tying claims tied to amphitheaters also remain alive.
- The government framed its case around major concert venues as a market.
- Live Nation argues there is zero evidence of price discrimination.
- Meta Platforms' FTC ruling is cited as backing the company’s stance.
- If reversed, several monopoly and damages claims would collapse.
- Subramanian rejected the proposed market for promotion services.
- Despite that, the tying allegation still moved forward.
- Live Nation insists that a tying theory needs a valid tied-product market.
- Victory on appeal could wipe out most remaining federal claims.
- Dan Wall posted It’s Time to Move On urging settlement talks.
- That statement disappeared from the company website soon after.
- Wall claimed breakup talk was effectively dead after the ruling.
- He referenced AT&T’s 1980 split and Google Search remedies.
- Department of Justice sued in May 2024 with 39 states and DC.
- Ten additional states later piled onto the complaint.
- Wall criticized Jonathan Kanter’s early breakup rhetoric.
- Live Nation reported 25.2 billion dollars in 2025 revenue.
