DOJ Sidesteps Live Nation Consent Decree, Seeks Structural Breakup

The Justice Department filed independent Sherman Act claims against Live Nation Entertainment, bypassing the 2010 consent decree framework to pursue comprehensive structural remedies. The approach grants prosecutors broader authority to mandate potential divestitures of venues or forced separation of the Ticketmaster ticketing platform. Twenty-nine states joined the federal case, targeting the company's vertical integration across venue ownership, artist management, and ticketing infrastructure that prosecutors argue creates competitive bottlenecks across concert markets.