The Ticketmaster Breakup Trial Just Got Messier

票务大师分手案变得愈发复杂

The Journal.

2026-03-17

21 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Just one week into the blockbuster antitrust trial between the Justice Department and Live Nation, the two parties reached a tentative agreement. WSJ’s Dave Michaels explores a deal that would allow the dominant concert promoter to keep ownership of Ticketmaster, a potential monopoly the DOJ had been concerned about for years. But for a coalition of state attorneys general who were also part of the original lawsuit, the deal wasn't good enough. Jessica Mendoza speaks to North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson about why he didn’t sign onto the agreement and what he’s looking for as the case continues. Further Listening: - The Trustbuster Taking on Ticketmaster - The Taylor Swift Ticketmaster Debacle Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • It's one of the biggest antitrust trials in the country.

  • The fight to break up the concert giant Live Nation and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster.

  • And in the weeks leading up to the trial, our colleague Dave Michaels kept hearing the same thing.

  • I was checking in very often and I was told without any doubt from sources on both sides,

  • it's going, it's on.

  • And when the trial finally began this month, the Justice Department came out swinging.

  • The trial had started on March 2nd.

  • And the first week had gone really well for the Justice Department.

  • They had put on some of their strongest witnesses, people who were talking about...

  • The Justice Department's theory of this case,

  • which is that Live Nation and Ticketmaster kind of work in combination to lock up all parts of this entertainment business.

  • The trial was expected to last months.

  • But after just one week, a bombshell.

  • Live Nation has reached a surprise settlement in its antitrust case with the Justice Department.

  • The two sides now reaching a tentative agreement that avoids breaking up the world's largest live entertainment company.

  • Under this surprise deal, there would be new limits on exclusivity, fees, and venue access.

  • But there would be no breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

  • So we got a settlement.

  • Is the case over?

  • Well, the Justice Department was quarterbacking this trial,