Ticketmaster and Stay Nation had monopoly on huge live performance venues, jury finds – Nationwide
A jury has discovered that live performance big Stay Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had a dangerous monopoly over huge live performance venues, dealing the corporate a loss in a lawsuit over claims introduced by dozens of U.S. states.
A Manhattan federal jury deliberated for 4 days earlier than reaching its determination Wednesday within the carefully watched case, which gave followers the equal of a backstage go to a enterprise that dominates dwell leisure within the U.S. and past.
Stay Nation Leisure owns, operates, controls reserving for or has an fairness curiosity in a whole lot of venues. Its subsidiary Ticketmaster is broadly thought-about to be the world’s largest ticket-seller for dwell occasions.
The civil case, initially led by the U.S. federal authorities, accused Stay Nation of utilizing its attain to smother competitors — by blocking venues from utilizing a number of ticket sellers, for instance.
“It’s time to maintain them accountable,” Jeffrey Kessler, an lawyer for the states, stated in a closing argument, calling Stay Nation a “monopolistic bully” that drove up costs for ticket patrons.
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Stay Nation insisted it’s not a monopoly, saying that artists, sports activities groups and venues resolve costs and ticketing practices. An organization lawyer insisted its measurement was merely a perform of excellence and energy.
“Success is just not towards the antitrust legal guidelines in america,” lawyer David Marriott stated in his summation.
Ticketmaster was established in 1976 and merged with Stay Nation in 2010. The corporate now controls of 86 per cent of the marketplace for concert events and 73 per cent of the general market when sports activities occasions are included, in response to Kessler.
Ticketmaster has lengthy drawn ire from followers and a few artists. Grunge rock titans Pearl Jam battled the enterprise within the Nineteen Nineties, even submitting an anti-monopoly grievance with the U.S. Division of Justice, which declined to deliver a case then.
Many years later, the Justice Division, joined by dozens of states, introduced the present lawsuit throughout Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration. Days into the trial, Republican President Donald Trump’s administration introduced it was settling its claims towards Stay Nation.
The deal included a cap on service charges at some amphitheaters, plus some new ticket-selling choices for promoters and venues — doubtlessly permitting, however not requiring, them to open doorways to Ticketmaster rivals akin to SeatGeek or AXS. However the settlement doesn’t power Stay Nation to separate from Ticketmaster.
A handful of the states joined the settlement. However greater than 30 pressed forward with the trial, saying the federal authorities hadn’t gotten sufficient concessions from Stay Nation.
The trial introduced Stay Nation CEO Michael Rapino to the witness stand, the place he was questioned about issues together with the corporate’s Taylor Swift ticket debacle in 2022. Rapino blamed a cyberattack.
The proceedings additionally aired a Stay Nation government’s inner messages declaring some costs “outrageous,” calling clients “so silly” and boasting that the corporate “robbing them blind, child.” The chief, Benjamin Baker, apologetically testified that the messages have been “very immature and unacceptable.”
© 2026 The Canadian Press
