Attorney General James Releases Statement on Live Nation Lawsuit

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York rejected Live Nation’s attempt to have all claims dismissed in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Attorney General James, a bipartisan coalition of 40 other attorneys general, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ): 

“Live Nation has used its monopoly to rig the live events industry to its benefit, driving up costs with higher ticket prices and outrageous fees. We brought this lawsuit to deliver justice to fans, artists, and venues across the country, and now a court has ruled that our lawsuit will go to trial. Regardless of the path that the Department of Justice takes, my office will continue this case and we will see Live Nation in court.” 

Attorney General James sued Live Nation in May 2024, alleging that its control over every aspect of the live events industry has left consumers, venues, and artists with limited options and forced them to endure high costs. The ruling today, issued by Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York, denies in part Live Nation’s motion for summary judgment, allowing the case to proceed to trial beginning March 2.  

Joining Attorney General James and DOJ in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

For New York, this matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Jonathan Hatch, Luisa di Lauro, and Juliana Karp, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Amy McFarlane and Bureau Chief Elinor Hoffmann, all of the Antitrust Bureau. The Antitrust Bureau is a part of the Division of Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.