London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 07, 2026

DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations

DOJ probing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for antitrust violations

The investigation predates this week's Taylor Swift concert ticket fiasco.
Live Nation Entertainment, the concert production giant and parent company of Ticketmaster, is under Justice Department antitrust scrutiny over its dominant role in the music industry that could lead to a possible break up of the company, according to two people with knowledge of the probe.

The company has endured a wave of criticism this week over the botched sale process for musician Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour. But the Swift debacle is unrelated to the DOJ investigation, which began in earnest over the summer, according to the people, who spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to comment on a confidential investigation. The probe is focused on whether and how the company uses its heft to muscle out competing ticketing services, concert promoters and other parts of the multibillion-dollar live music industry, the people said.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. A spokesperson for Live Nation did not respond to a request for comment.

The New York Times earlier reported the DOJ investigation.

While the investigation has gained steam in recent months, Live Nation has been under federal oversight since 2010 when it merged with the ticketing giant Ticketmaster. As part of a settlement with the government allowing the deal to close, the companies agreed to sell off some ticketing assets, license ticketing software and agree to not force venues to use Ticketmaster. That settlement had an expiration date in 2020.

In late 2019 the company settled with the DOJ again, over violations of the earlier agreement. The DOJ accused the company of using its dominant position in the live music industry to force artists and venues to use both its ticketing and concert promotion services. The company is by far the largest ticketing company in the U.S., as well as one of the largest concert-promotion, artist management and venue operators. As part of the new agreement, the company agreed to extend court oversight via an independent compliance monitor through 2025.

Musicians and venues have complained for years that the company enforces anti-competitive contract terms that, for example, make it difficult for an artist being promoted by Live Nation to use a Ticketmaster competitor for ticket sales. The court-appointed monitor overseeing the company’s compliance with the settlement has been fielding a steady stream of complaints about the company’s business practices over the last several years, according to a person with knowledge of the complaints.

The company came under fire this week when its system was unable to handle the overwhelming demand for Swift concert tickets. Swift, however, is using Ticketmaster rival AEG to promote her tour.

Any legal action against Live Nation by the DOJ is not imminent, said the people with knowledge of the probe. However, if a lawsuit is ultimately filed, the department could potentially seek a break up of the company, the people said. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, who heads up the DOJ’s antitrust division, has said repeatedly that he prefers to litigate rather than settle enforcement actions, and has indicated a preference for so-called structural remedies, such as separating lines of business, rather than behavioral fixes, which include promises not to engage in certain types of conduct.

The DOJ is not the only entity investigating the company. This week attorneys general in both North Carolina and Tennessee have announced probes, and multiple lawmakers including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who heads up the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, have called for hearings and investigations.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
Trump Repeats UK Claims That Diverge from Verified Facts Amid Diplomatic Strain
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
×