Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said the state will continue with its lawsuit against Live Nation amid news of a tentative settlement between the company and the U.S. Department of Justice.
The settlement announced Monday by the Justice Department to resolve its antitrust suit against the entertainment conglomerate that includes Ticketmaster is "wholly inadequate," according to Campbell.
Campbell and other state attorneys general joined the U.S. DOJ in a May 2024 lawsuit against Live Nation, alleging the company's anticompetitive conduct violates the law and stifles innovation, including by forcing venues to solely use Ticketmaster or strategically acquiring venues in order to eliminate competition. The DOJ announced Monday that it had reached a settlement with Live Nation and would end its suit.
"The DOJ’s settlement falls far short of protecting consumers, artists, and venues from the harms that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have caused," Campbell said in a statement. "As Attorney General, my job is to uphold the law and protect Massachusetts residents from companies that rig the market against consumers. That’s why I’ll continue to pursue litigation against Live Nation and keep fighting to protect consumers, restore competition, and hold Live Nation accountable for its illegal behavior."
Campbell's office detailed five ways in which it thinks the DOJ settlement is inadequate: the $5 million penalty "is too small for a company that reported a record-setting $25.2 billion in revenue in 2025," the agreement would allow Live Nation to retain a compliance monitor that she says has previously been ineffective, the settlement would let Live Nation to enter into exclusive contracts for as long as four years, it does not give concert venues a pathway to terminate their current exclusive contracts with Live Nation, and it does not address "the harms caused by Live Nation’s continued ownership of Ticketmaster," the AG's office said.
Live Nation has previously said it is "absurd to claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are wielding monopoly power."
Live Nation owns or controls more than 265 concert venues in North America, including House of Blues Boston, MGM Music Hall Fenway, Leader Bank Pavilion and Xfinity Center in Massachusetts. According to Campbell's office, the company manages more than 400 musical artists, and through Ticketmaster controls roughly 80% of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts.
Campbell said she will have back-up as she continues her suit and "advocate[s] for the complete divestiture of Ticketmaster." Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are also pressing ahead, she said.