Live Nation Discloses 16-Month DOJ Contacts, Trump Call Before Antitrust Settlement
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jun 24
Live Nation Discloses 16-Month DOJ Contacts, Trump Call Before Antitrust Settlement
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jun 24
Summary
A court notice said Live Nation held in-person meetings, calls and written exchanges with the DOJ and White House counsel from February 2025 to June 2026 while negotiating a settlement with the U.S.
February 2026 brought a separate conversation between CEO Michael Rapino and President Donald Trump in which the antitrust case was mentioned, though the filing said no substantive settlement terms were discussed.
The disclosure names Rapino, President and CFO Joe Berchtold, regulatory executive Dan Wall and director Richard Grenell, whom Trump installed at the Kennedy Center in February 2025.
The contacts preceded a March settlement that ended the federal case brought in May 2024 with about 40 states, even as the state case continued.
An April jury then found Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally held monopoly power in ticketing, underscoring the stakes of the federal deal.
A jury found Live Nation a monopoly. Will the judge now approve the government's much weaker settlement deal?
After a guilty verdict, can over 30 states force the breakup of entertainment giant Live Nation and Ticketmaster?
Why did the DOJ settle its landmark antitrust case just before a jury found the company liable?
Live Nation–Ticketmaster Found Guilty of Monopolizing US Ticketing: 33-State Coalition Secures Historic 2026 Jury Verdict
Overview
On April 15, 2026, a federal jury found Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster guilty of illegally monopolizing the US ticketing and amphitheater markets after a five-week trial. The jury sided with a coalition of 33 states and the District of Columbia, concluding that consumers were overcharged due to anticompetitive conduct. This verdict was celebrated as a major win for fans, artists, and venues. With the verdict delivered, attention now turns to the remedy phase, which is expected to bring significant changes to the live entertainment industry as the court considers how to address the monopoly.