Massachusetts Attorney General Rejects DOJ Settlement With Live Nation, Continues State Lawsuit

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell turned down a settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and Live Nation Entertainment announced Monday. She called it "wholly inadequate." She vowed to press forward with state litigation against the company. The DOJ had struck the deal to resolve its antitrust suit.

Campbell's office laid out five problems. The $5 million penalty is too small for a company that reported $25.2 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the AG's office. The agreement lets the entertainment giant keep a compliance monitor that hasn't worked and allows exclusive contracts for up to four years.

Concert venues get no way to end current exclusive contracts under the settlement. It also fails to address harms caused by the company's continued ownership of Ticketmaster.

"The DOJ's settlement falls far short of protecting consumers, artists, and venues from the harms that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have caused," said Campbell in a statement, according to NBC Boston.com. "As Attorney General, my job is to uphold the law and protect Massachusetts residents from companies that rig the market against consumers. That's why I'll continue to pursue litigation against Live Nation and keep fighting to protect consumers, restore competition, and hold Live Nation accountable for its illegal behavior."

Campbell and other state attorneys general joined the DOJ in a May 2024 lawsuit against the ticketing company. The suit claimed anticompetitive conduct that violates the law and stifles innovation, including forcing venues to only use Ticketmaster or buying up venues to eliminate competition.

The entertainment company owns or controls more than 265 concert venues in North America. This includes House of Blues Boston, MGM Music Hall Fenway, Leader Bank Pavilion, and Xfinity Center in Massachusetts. It manages more than 400 musical artists. It controls roughly 80% of major concert venues' primary ticketing for concerts through Ticketmaster.

The company has said it is "absurd to claim that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are wielding monopoly power."

Campbell said 26 other states and jurisdictions will back her continued litigation. Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming are moving forward with their suits. Campbell said she will push for the complete divestiture of Ticketmaster.