US DOJ Seeks Live Nation Breakup as Federal Antitrust Trial Opens

The US DOJ and 39 states began a federal antitrust trial in Manhattan before Judge Arun Subramanian to break up the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster.Attorney David Dahlquist argued the corporation uses coercive tactics to control the market, citing the 2022 Taylor Swift tour service failure as evidence.Defense attorneys for Michael Rapino denied the monopoly claims and asserted that ticket prices are set by artists rather than the entertainment firm.The corporation stated that Ticketmaster pockets only about $5 per ticket, resulting in a net profit of less than $2 after accounting for various expenses.