Live Nation logo \ Donald Trump | Photo by Shaleah Craighead , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Live Nation Execs Hope Trump Win Spells Doom for Antitrust Case
A return of Donald Trump to the White House in 2025 has executives at Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster hopeful for their future. Targeted by an antitrust lawsuit seeking to break up what many argue is an unlawful monopoly that dominates the entertainment and ticketing business, Live Nation’s leaders expressed confidence that the incoming Republican administration and its Department of Justice might favor a more “traditional” approach to antitrust affairs.
In short, they think Trumps victory will put an end to the efforts to break them up filed by President Biden’s DOJ under Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“We are hopeful that we’ll see a return to the more traditional antitrust approach where the agencies have generally tried to find ways to solve problems they see with targeted remedies that minimize government intervention in the marketplace,” says Joe Berchtold, speaking to investors as part of this week’s Live Nation Entertainment earnings report. “And without getting into the specifics, at least some parts of the case, we think believe reflect a much more interventionist philosophy today than you’d expect of a Republican administration.”
Berchtold noted that the request to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster is “an example of that highly interventionist approach.”
| READ: Live Nation’s Stock Soars Following Trump Victory |
The antritrust lawsuit, filed this past May, seeks to break-up the pair, citing monopolistic and anticompetitive practices. Even before the case was filed, a poll found that a strong majority supports Live Nation and Ticketmaster breaking up, with support from 50% of republicans and 72% of democrats.
Diana Moss of the Progressive Policy Institute explained in a statement to TicketNews that the DOJ’s case “stands a good chance of surviving a transition in administration intact.”
“This contrasts with the other digital tech monopolization cases on deck at the anti-trust agencies,” Moss said. “Live Nation’s demonstrated anticompetitive practices present more familiar territory for the courts in terms of bringing strong theory and facts, so a win is likely and that looks good politically.”
While the country proved to be very divided on the political spectrum following the outcome of Election Day, it is apparent that the outrage against Ticketmaster and its corporate parent is one of the safest bipartisan issues. Attorneys General from 39 states plus the District of Columbia are signed on as co-plaintiffs in the case — representing a wide spectrum from blue states like California to red states like Alabama.
Moss noted that “fan and artist outrage over high fees and no choice in ticketing would be hard for any administration to ignore.”
Live Nation has unequivocally denied any wrongdoing throughout legal proceedings thus far, placing the blame instead on the resale market. It has even pushed for a legislative solution to grant their chosen ticketing platforms a full legal monopoly over both the sale and resale of tickets in the “Fans First” legislation.
In terms of a timeline, Berchtold said that Live Nation is “hopeful that we could start engaging with [the administration] early in next year.” Currently, a trial is set for March 2026.
