CBC News

· Posted: Mar 09, 2026 10:12 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

Live Nation Entertainment and the U.S. Department of Justice reached a proposed settlement on Monday, ending the antitrust trial targeting the company's alleged monopoly over parts of the entertainment industry just a week after it began.

News of the settlement came out in a Monday morning court hearing, where it was also disclosed that Live Nation is in talks with state attorneys general to secure a broader resolution of ​related state-level antitrust claims.

Details of the settlement were not made publicly available on Monday. But according to multiple outlets, a senior justice official said the terms of the deal would require Live Nation to sell off 13 of their amphitheatres.

The company would also be barred from retaliating against venues that choose not to use the Ticketmaster platform to sell tickets, and from requiring artists to use Live Nation's promotional services when they're performing at amphitheatres the company owns.

Additionally, Ticketmaster will have to provide a "standalone ticketing service" that would allow third-party ticket sellers like SeatGeek and StubHub to offer tickets through that platform, according to reports.

The deal also reportedly requires Live Nation to pay as much as $280 million US to settle with states, which joined the DOJ in bringing the initial lawsuit in 2024.

The settlement also still needs to be approved by the judge.

Live Nation and the Department of Justice did not initially reply to CBC News's requests for comment.

The agreement brings the high-profile trial — in which the DOJ initially sought a breakup of the company when it sued Live Nation — to an end.

WATCH | U.S. DOJ sues Ticketmaster parent company:

While several states are reportedly on side with the settlement, a number of others expressed their discontent.

An attorney ⁠for Washington moved for a mistrial on behalf ‌of the states. The judge was considering that request on Monday morning, or potentially pausing the trial to allow the states to prepare to proceed on their own.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also pushed back on the settlement, saying it "fails to address the ​monopoly at the centre of ⁠this case, and would benefit Live Nation at the expense of consumers."

She vowed to continue her lawsuit against Live Nation, alongside about two dozen other states, including Arizona, California and Illinois.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian questioned why the parties had not informed the court sooner about the settlement, which was signed ⁠on Thursday. An attorney for the Justice Department said she was not aware of the settlement as the trial proceeded on Friday.

"It shows absolute disrespect for the court, for the jury, for this entire process, and it is entirely unacceptable," ‌Subramanian said.