Everyone hates Ticketmaster. Why’d Trump go easy on them? | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Everyone hates Ticketmaster. Why’d Trump go easy on them?Comments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...PodcastsClosePodcastsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PodcastsBusinessCloseBusinessPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BusinessPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyEveryone hates Ticketmaster. Why’d Trump go easy on them?The Justice Department’s surprise Live Nation settlement raises big questions about the future of federal antitrust.by Nilay PatelCloseNilay PatelEditor-in-ChiefPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Nilay PatelMar 26, 2026, 3:31 PM UTCLinkSharePodcastsClosePodcastsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PodcastsBusinessCloseBusinessPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BusinessPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyEveryone hates Ticketmaster. Why’d Trump go easy on them?The Justice Department’s surprise Live Nation settlement raises big questions about the future of federal antitrust.by Nilay PatelCloseNilay PatelEditor-in-ChiefPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Nilay PatelMar 26, 2026, 3:31 PM UTCLinkShareNilay PatelCloseNilay PatelPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Nilay Patel is editor-in-chief of The Verge, host of the Decoder podcast, and co-host of The Vergecast.Today on Decoder, we’re talking about the major antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, and what it might mean for antitrust and competition law in general now that the Justice Department under Trump has decided to settle its part of the case. That’s even as many states — including New York, California, and Texas — carry on the fight.To break it all down, I’m joined by Verge senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner. Lauren is our resident court expert, by which I mean she’s been in the courtroom herself and chronicling this trial from the beginning.You might be unfamiliar with the name Live Nation, but you’ve almost certainly encountered one of its many, many subsidiaries — the most infamous of these is called Ticketmaster. Longtime Decoder listeners might recall an episode we did on Ticketmaster back in 2023, in the wake of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour fiasco. That was when Ticketmaster’s website crashed during the first major rush for Eras Tour tickets. It was such a scandal, and Swifties are so politically powerful, that Live Nation was then dragged in front of Congress after widespread backlash spilled over into the mainstream.Verge subscribers, don’t forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Decoder wherever you get your podcasts. Head here. Not a subscriber? You can sign up here.In 2024, the Department of Justice launched an antitrust lawsuit against the company, seeking to break it up — to split Ticketmaster off from Live Nation to try and combat predatory practices and increasing ticket fees.This seemed like a real slam dunk case against Live Nation, regardless of political affiliation — nobody likes Ticketmaster, and breaking up the company would score political points for whoever finally pulled the trigger. It was also supposed to be a sign of strong bipartisan antitrust support.The lawsuit was filed under the Biden administration. So even though Trump has since replaced Biden’s antitrust leaders, there was good reason to believe the new people in charge, in particular DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater, would keep up the pressure, especially against tech companies. You might remember that JD Vance used to go around calling himself a fan of former FTC chief Lina Khan and calling for the breakup of Google.But nothing about the second Trump admin is predictable. In early February, Gail Slater was pushed out. And then just one week into the Live Nation trial, part of that lawsuit came to a sudden and shocking end. The DOJ settled its portion of the case, extracting what many in the broader live event and music industries see as weak concessions. This has stirred up accusations of outright corruption on behalf of Trump himself, who reportedly intervened in the case directly to demand a speedy settlement.But the lawsuit isn’t over yet. Because the case against Live Nation also included dozens of US states and districts, there is still a majority of state attorneys general who have refused to give up the fight. So Live Nation remains in court, fighting off accusations that it operates an illegal monopoly in the ticket business, which is illegally tied to its promotions business… which is illegally tied to its venues business.But the DOJ settlement raises all sorts of complicated questions about where antitrust policy stands in the US today, especially with regard to ongoing cases against Big Tech companies like Apple and Amazon.Lauren has been tracking all of these developments in detail — the trial, the settlement, and now the states continuing the fight — so let’s get into it.

If you’d like to read more about what we discussed in this episode, check out these links:States’ anti-monopoly case against Live Nation continues Monday | The VergeThe Live Nation trial restarts with a ‘velvet hammer’ | The VergeLive Nation settles government antitrust suit — and dodges a breakup | The VergeThe Live Nation settlement has industry insiders baffled | The VergeListen to the Live Nation CEO’s alleged threats to a concert venue | The VergeThe threats and bare-knuckle tactics of MAGA’s top antitrust fixer | The Wall Street JournalThe Trump admin just gave Live Nation the gift of a lifetime | The New York TimesHow Live Nation allegedly terrorized the concert industry | The VergeThe US government is trying to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster | The Verge (2024)Taylor Swift vs. Ronald Reagan: the Ticketmaster story | Decoder (2023)Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Nilay PatelCloseNilay PatelEditor-in-ChiefPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Nilay PatelAntitrustCloseAntitrustPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AntitrustBusinessCloseBusinessPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BusinessDecoderCloseDecoderPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All DecoderPodcastsClosePodcastsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PodcastsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyPoliticsClosePoliticsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PoliticsMost PopularMost PopularThe United States router ban, explainedSeiko resurrected a 44-year-old digital watch NASA astronauts wore to spaceIntel and LG Display may have beaten Apple and Qualcomm with the best laptop battery life everThe best deals we’ve found from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (so far)Nintendo is going to charge less for digital Switch 2 gamesThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adMore in PodcastsWelp, I bought an iPhone againPlayConfronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated meThe secret story of the vocoder, the military tech that changed music foreverWhy people really hate AIPlayParamount’s $110 billion Warner Bros. gambleThe future of code is exciting and terrifyingWelp, I bought an iPhone againDavid PierceMar 24PlayConfronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated meNilay PatelMar 23The secret story of the vocoder, the military tech that changed music foreverDavid PierceMar 22Why people really hate AIDavid PierceMar 20PlayParamount’s $110 billion Warner Bros. gambleNilay PatelMar 19The future of code is exciting and terrifyingDavid PierceMar 17Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native adTop StoriesTwo hours agoWhy a two-seater robotaxi makes more sense than you think1:00 PM UTCThe versatile Play speaker is a great way into the Sonos world29 minutes agoMeta gets ready to launch two new Ray-Ban AI glasses12:00 PM UTCDJI’s Avata 360 is a more functional, flexible 360 droneMar 25The United States router ban, explained15 minutes agoGovee’s color-changing smart lamps are on sale for up to 30 percent offThe VergeThe Verge logo.FacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSContactTip UsCommunity GuidelinesArchivesAboutEthics StatementHow We Rate and Review ProductsCookie SettingsTerms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie PolicyLicensing FAQAccessibilityPlatform Status© 2026 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved

The Verge’s Nilay Patel hosts “Decoder,” discussing the Justice Department’s surprising settlement with Live Nation, the company behind Ticketmaster, and the ongoing antitrust lawsuit. The core of the discussion centers around the perception that President Trump intervened to secure a favorable outcome, despite the Justice Department’s initial efforts to break up the company’s dominance in the ticketing and live event space. While the DOJ’s lawsuit aimed to address concerns about predatory practices and excessive fees, the settlement extracted concessions that the live event industry sees as weak. Notably, numerous states continue to pursue the case independently, demonstrating a widespread dissatisfaction with Ticketmaster’s practices. Lauren Feiner, The Verge’s senior policy reporter, details the trial proceedings, the settlement terms, and the ramifications for broader antitrust policy, particularly concerning other large tech companies such as Apple and Amazon. The episode highlights the significant political and public sentiment surrounding Ticketmaster, fueled by events like the disastrous Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket sales, and suggests a degree of intervention by the Trump administration to expedite the settlement.