WASHINGTON (September 3, 2026) — Today, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) submitted comments urging the federal court overseeing the U.S., et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and Ticketmaster L.L.C. monopolization case to reject the proposed settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Live Nation-Ticketmaster.
PPI’s comments, filed under the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act, or “Tunney Act,” ask the court to instead require a structural breakup of the live events giant to restore competition in primary ticketing services. PPI argues the proposed final judgment suffers from two fatal flaws.
One, it is the product of political interference. And two, its “behavioral” remedies, including a contract compliance regime and an Open Distribution and Ticket Authentication system, do nothing to reduce Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s incentive and ability to exercise monopoly power in the market for primary ticketing services.
PPI’s comments explain that Live Nation-Ticketmaster has a long history of violating past behavioral remedies, and warns the new conditions are too complex, opaque, and easy to circumvent for courts and enforcers to police effectively.
“Behavioral remedies haven’t worked before, and there’s no reason to believe more of the same will work now,” said Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy at PPI. “The only remedy that truly restores competition is a structural one: break Ticketmaster off from Live Nation, then break it up.”
PPI’s comments emphasize that the DOJ originally sought a structural break-up remedy in its original complaint. PPI argues that “enough is enough.” U.S. consumers spend roughly $20 billion each year on live concert tickets, with inflated monopoly ticket fees driving up that cost. A weak remedy would allow Live Nation-Ticketmaster to continue to squeeze independent venues, ice out competition from primary ticketing rivals, and drive up ticket fees for consumers.
Read PPI’s full comments here.
Founded in 1989, PPI is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Find an expert and learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Follow us at @ppi.
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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe – iokeefe@ppionline.org
