RALEIGH — North Carolina’s top prosecutor is breaking with the federal government to continue a legal battle against the nation’s largest live entertainment conglomerate.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced Monday North Carolina will remain part of a bipartisan coalition of states litigating against Live Nation and its ticketing subsidiary, Ticketmaster. The move follows a Monday announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice that it had reached a settlement with the company shortly after the antitrust trial began.
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The original lawsuit, filed in May 2024 by the DOJ and 40 states, aimed to break up the 2010 merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The suit alleged the company used its dominant control over concert promotion, artist management, and ticketing services to create an illegal monopoly that “suffocated” competition and drove up prices for fans.
Jackson characterized the new federal agreement as a “terrible deal” hidden from state partners until the last minute. The settlement reportedly includes $280 million in civil penalties and requires Ticketmaster to open its technology to third-party sellers. Additionally, the agreement would reportedly require Live Nation to sell several amphitheaters and place limits on exclusive venue contracts and other practices regulators say stifled competition.
Jackson and attorneys general from more than two dozen other states — including New York, California, Florida, and Texas — argue the terms fail to actually dismantle the monopoly at the center of the case.
“North Carolina is staying in this case – as are most of my fellow attorneys general, both Republicans and Democrats,” Jackson said in a release. “This is a terrible deal that USDOJ hid from the states until the last minute. We are going to continue our fight against ticket inflation with a bipartisan group of AGs who remain committed to a just outcome for consumers.”
The state’s case focuses on allegations the company inflated ticket prices with unnecessary fees, used long-term exclusive contracts to “strong-arm” venues, and forced artists to use Live Nation as their promoter to gain access to critical amphitheaters.
“This case is about Live Nation and Ticketmaster harming consumers, trapping artists, and driving up ticket prices,” Jackson said. “We will see them back in court, shortly.”
North Carolina and its state partners have filed a motion for a mistrial, arguing the states need additional preparation time now that the federal government has withdrawn from the case. Jackson’s office is currently working with U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian and other state attorneys general to determine a new timeline for the lawsuit.
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