Trump’s DOJ reaches agreement with Ticketmaster to lower prices — but some states already reject it

The U.S. Dept. of Justice said it had reached a tentative deal in the antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment on Monday.

Critics of the event ticket outlet have accused the company of seeking a monopoly in the industry in order to artificially maintain high sales fees.

‘We will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.’

“Live Nation Ticketmaster created a dominant conglomerate with an unprecedented amount of control over the live ticketing market, resulting in monopoly power it has used to entrench its position in the marketplace,” Mark Meador wrote in 2024 before being nominated to FTC commissioner.

On Monday, a senior Justice Department official said anonymously in a call with reporters that the deal was a “win-win for everybody.”

Live Nation has agreed to divest itself of 13 amphitheaters in the U.S. as a part of the deal, which also includes a $280 million fine.

The official said a double-digit number of states have signaled that they will agree with the deal.

New York Attorney General Letitia James was among those who said they would not go along with the deal and continue their own lawsuits against the companies.

“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,” James said.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) ridiculed President Donald Trump over the deal in a post on social media.

RELATED: It’s time to join the fight and expose Ticketmaster

“Donald ‘Art of the Deal’ Trump settled the Ticketmaster-Live Nation antitrust case,” Warren wrote.

“If you love going to concerts, Trump’s deal means you’ll keep paying a ‘Ticketmaster Tax.’ And artists will keep getting bullied,” she added. “It’s time to break up Ticketmaster-Live Nation.”

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