Live Nation CEO: ‘Everyone Thinks’ Live Nation is Innocent in DOJ Case

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino was questioned on the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against his company during a panel conversation at Bloomberg Screentime in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

During the conversation, The Wrap reported moderator Lucas Shaw touched on the lawsuit, which was brought forth by the DOJ, 39 states and the District of Columbia earlier this year. The suit alleges that Live Nation and its ticketing subsidiary Ticketmaster engage in anticompetitive and monopolistic business practices.

Rapino said that Live Nation will ultimately win the case.

“At the end of the day, everyone thinks they’re innocent,” Rapino said. “We believe we built a great business. We’re a 2% margin business, so we must be the dumbest monopoly alive.”

Rapino noted that “of course we’re vertical,” and “every promoter from history has been vertical, because that’s how you pay the bills when you’re a 2% margin.”

Shaw pushed back lightly against the 2% margin claim, noting that it’s for the company’s promotion business and its margins on ticket prices are better.

Last month, Live Nation filed a motion to dismiss two parts of the suit. Two-thirds of the state plaintiffs are seeking treble damages via a legal doctrine — allowing the states to act on behalf of citizens harmed by Live Nation’s alleged practices. Live Nation argued that the alleged conduct would not harm consumers; if proven, Live Nation said this conduct would harm venues, promoters, artists, and competitors — rather than ticket buyers.

Live Nation said the alleged consumer harm isn’t probable and has “almost nothing to do with consumers or the ticketing fees they pay.”

Additionally, Live Nation is trying to dismiss a claim by the DOJ that alleges the promoter engages in “illegal tying”– a practice in which a buyer’s purchase is conditional on the purchase of something else. While the DOJ alleges Live Nation does not permit artists to play its owned and operated amphitheaters unless they agree to use Live Nation as a promoter, Live Nation denies this.

As a part of the motion, Live Nation has requested oral arguments before Judge Arun Subramanian.

The entertainment giant has already sought to have many portions of the case dismissed entirely, but is clearly pursuing multiple angles of attack against the sprawling lawsuit seeking to break it up after more than a decade of allegations of anticompetitive and monopolistic behavior. They’ve also fought to keep key corporate officers — including antitrust czar Dan Wall — able to access all discovery files in legal filings made earlier this year.

Last week, Subramanian denied Live Nation’s request to move the case out of New York. A trial date is set for March 2, 2026.