STATES PUSH JUDGE TO BREAK UP LIVE NATION-TICKETMASTER

Judge Arun Subramanian will decide on remedies in the high-profile antitrust case. States are requesting a full breakup, including forced sale of the company's ticketing division and a "sufficient number" of large amphitheaters. The proposal also seeks restrictions on Live Nation's ability to bundle services, preventing the company from requiring venues to use its promotions services to access its ticketing platform. A jury found Live Nation-Ticketmaster violated antitrust laws after a trial lasting over a month. The April verdict concluded the company maintains illegal monopoly power in ticket sales and live events promotion. Federal prosecutors and state attorneys general have pursued the case aggressively, arguing the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster created an anti-competitive behemoth that harms both consumers and independent promoters. The company controls roughly 80% of the primary ticket sales market in the U.S. The remedies phase will determine whether the court imposes structural changes or behavioral restrictions on the company.