The Post-Verdict World of Ticketing

Although much is unknown about what happens now that a verdict has been reached in the Live Nation antitrust suit, it’s all but certain that any remedies from District Judge Subramanian will involve or impact concert tickets, which could change not only how Live Nation and Ticketmaster operate but involve the decisions and businesses of artists, venues and other ticketing companies as well.

“This is a big moment for the live business, but it’s not going to change things overnight,” said Avi Dahan, founder of Dahan Law Group. “With appeals and the remedy phase ahead, most tours, venue deals, and ticketing relationships will keep running the same for now. Where it matters right away is leverage, because a jury has now found parts of the system were anti-competitive; venues and promoters have more leverage to push back on exclusivity, explore other ticketing partners, and negotiate terms they previously felt they could not challenge.”

While some in the industry, many of whom gathered last week at Pollstar Live! in Los Angeles as the news broke, think any verdict may include marginal remedies or get bogged down by appeals and red tape, the fact there was a trial and verdict at all proves that the Department of Justice is serious about and willing to take a hard look at complicated industries in the matter of competition and monopolization of industry.

If the jury found Live Nation was operating as a monopoly, any remedy would seek to remedy that situation. 

“I think this is a net positive,” said Robert Davari, CEO of Tixr, a ticketing platform that services venues, promoters and festivals in the U.S. and abroad. Stressing that it’s still very unclear what any legal remedies will be, he hopes the verdict will encourage more healthy competition and push the industry forward.  

“We work with Live Nation and AEG, and we love servicing them, and we believe that we and companies like us can do a lot of good for promoters to help them upgrade their technology and find new ways for them to monetize. Hopefully, this allows for that, hopefully this unlocks some of the vertical integration that exists in this business that really allows everybody to move forward. Not only the ticketing companies, but also promoters that have been kind of used to this vertical integration model that we think kind of holds everything back.”

Davari, who was a witness in the antitrust trial, sees potential legal outcomes including more venue contracts opening up for bidding, which would “open the door so there’s more of an open, competitive market,” Davari said. “We’re already seeing some of that, a lot of deals that we otherwise would be impossible for us to be in because of the previous dynamic.” He also stresses that he thinks whatever outcome will be good for the overall industry, including Live Nation. “Disruption and change are generally good,” he says. “They’re uncomfortable in the short term, but they’re a net positive in the long term. I think everybody’s going to come out just fine.”

While a Live Nation / Ticketmaster breakup is far from inevitable, and a previous settlement with the DOJ included nothing near the magnitude of such a separation, other remedies could involve ticketing and promoting exclusivity at venues, or with artists altogether.

“Imagine if artists could go and book their own shows in a large-scale venue that otherwise they’d have to go through multiple layers,” says Davari. “That gets really interesting. Europe operates under that model, and I think it’s great.”

Legal remedies limiting Ticketmaster’s influence on national tours could lead to more local independents involved in large tours as well, as the proliferation of national or global tour deals between one promoter have seen independents not as active in the arena or stadium business as in previous decades.

“I’ve been speaking with a lot of (regional independent promoters) that have a (type of) glass ceiling to their business because, say they discover an artist early on, the minute that artist breaks out, they can no longer participate on the touring side because they don’t have the breadth of venues and that kind of promotion,” Davari says. “This could change that, and a lot of the creativity and innovation comes from these guys.”

Of course, even if broken up, Ticketmaster would remain a dominant force in the space with decades of relationships, technology rollout and continued innovation, global footprint and the proven ability to provide full service to everything from the largest worldwide global onsale to smallest club show. Existing or new clients would be free to choose or remain with Ticketmaster, which many have lauded as the best service for their needs. 

“I think it was a disappointing outcome,” Jarred Arfa, EVP and Head of Global Music for Independent Artist Group, a talent agency that represents music clients like Billy Joel, Metallica, Rod Stewart and many others, told Pollstar. “I believe the government has a profound misunderstanding of how the business works. The idea that possibly breaking the companies up will have any impact on ticket prices is a fallacy. Regardless of final outcome, I think Ticketmaster is still the best ticketing system for high volume onsales and as a tool to maximize artist revenue. Live Nation has some of the best touring personnel in the business. Even if there were increased competition on the promoter side, you aren’t going to rush to trust promoters with your headline artists that don’t have the expertise and experience that Live Nation has.”

Ticketmaster counts many unaffiliated entities as clients, from major sports teams, independent festivals through its Front Gate Tickets and even AEG Presents-promoted concert tours, such as the Taylor Swift “Eras” tour, as the company was considered the only platform capable of handling such volume at onsale — even if the onasle did glitch leading to some outcry from fans and politicians. The company has also seen increased competition in the primary ticketing space from companies like SeatGeek, which holds contracts for multiple major league sports franchises, and AEG’s own Axs platform that typically provides ticketing for the promoter’s affiliated tours and venues.

Not all recent Ticketmaster headlines have been negative, such as when Bruno Mars’ “The Romantic Tour” went on sale in January, breaking single-day ticket sales records with 2.1 million sold across North America and Europe. The company is also putting effort into micro-interactions between artist and fan, with recent deals with face value exchange platform CashorTrade, which execs say will include every ticket sold on Ticketmaster, and with Seated, a platform that handles artist presale and fan clubs.

They also announced April 22 that they’d canceled and would be re-listing Harry Styles Madison Square Garden tickets that ended up in the hands of those looking to profit from resale.

Ticketmaster ‘Caught’ Harry Styles Scalpers, Will Relist Tickets At Original Price

Those working within the deeper ticketing ecosystem may have other headaches and hurdles to figure out following any structural change to how they operate, but if history is any indicator, those behind the scenes as well as those calling the shots will figure new ways forward, driven by continued incredible demand for fans to see live entertainment of all kinds.

“The recent jury verdict involving Live Nation and Ticketmaster represents an important moment for the live entertainment ecosystem and invites thoughtful consideration across the industry,” Maureen Andersen, President and CEO of ticketing organization INTIX, shared with Pollstar. 

“At its core, ticketing is powered by people—professionals working every day behind the scenes to serve their venues, clients, artists, teams, and fans. Their focus remains steady: delivering seamless, trusted, and increasingly innovative experiences for live events, regardless of broader industry developments.

“While outcomes like this may influence how organizations evaluate partnerships, technology, and long-term strategy, the ticketing landscape remains highly competitive and dynamic. It’s also important to recognize that ticket pricing is shaped by many factors across the live event ecosystem—artists, promoters, venues, and market demand—not any single entity.”

“At INTIX, we remain committed to supporting the global ticketing community through moments of change—creating space for dialogue, shared insight, and professional growth. We respect the legal process and all parties involved, and we will continue to champion a balanced perspective that keeps the focus on the people, the work, and the ongoing evolution of our industry.”