California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general announced on Mar. 9 their decision to continue pursuing an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement in the case during its first week of trial.
The coalition said it aims to hold Live Nation accountable for alleged anticompetitive practices that have affected consumers, artists, and venues across the country. The attorneys general argue that settling now would not secure adequate protections or remedies for those impacted by what they describe as monopolistic behavior in ticketing and concert amphitheater markets.
“Today, U.S. DOJ has chosen to settle with Live Nation, but a bipartisan group of attorneys general, including California, have chosen to continue this fight and get a better deal for consumers — the deal Americans nationwide deserve,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Just in the first week of trial, we’ve already heard that Live Nation fully intended to take advantage of fans — and were able to do so because fans had no other place to go. Live Nation has manipulated the market, made itself untouchable by any competitor, and raked in the cash — not because it is better, but because it has acted illegally and created a monopoly.”
Bonta also criticized broader federal actions affecting consumer protection: “Allowing big corporations to raise prices and push competitors out of the marketplace with impunity will only worsen the affordability crisis felt by Americans. From President Trump’s efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to instituting tariffs that have raised prices on nearly everything, to firing the head of the federal DOJ’s antitrust office tasked with protecting fairness in the marketplace, and now abandoning this lawsuit, it’s abundantly clear: The President is more concerned with protecting corporate interests than making life affordable for American families.”
The California Attorney General’s office promotes transparency through tools like OpenJustice for publishing criminal justice data according to its official website. It serves as an integral part of California’s executive branch as outlined in state law and acts as chief law enforcement authority focusing on enforcing laws and advancing civil rights initiatives according to its official website. Rob Bonta leads this office according to its official website, which exercises authority statewide according to its official website.
Joining Bonta are attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the District of Columbia.
The outcome of this ongoing litigation could affect how large companies operate within live entertainment industries nationwide.
