Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said a New York federal court has returned a verdict holding Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Ticketmaster LLC liable for monopolizing multiple markets in the ticketing and live entertainment industry, in a case brought in 2024 by Paxton and a multistate coalition, with remedies to be determined at a later date.

The announcement from the Texas Attorney General's office said Paxton "helped secure a verdict in a New York federal court that confirms Live Nation is liable for its illegal conduct." The office did not release the docket number or the name of the presiding judge.

The underlying suit was filed in 2024 after the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. According to the announcement, the combined company "consolidated control over ticket sales, venue management, and concert promotion," creating an entity the press release said Live Nation has described as the "largest live entertainment company in the world."

The Texas AG's office alleged that Live Nation "abused this dominance by forcing venues into exclusive agreements under threat of financial retaliation and leveraged its control over ticketing and venues to pressure artists into restrictive promotional contracts." The office said that conduct "stifled competition, limited consumer choice, and drove up ticket prices through excessive and hidden fees."

"No corporation should be allowed to illegally monopolize an industry, but that is exactly what Live Nation has done with its anticompetitive scheme to control concert prices and take advantage of fans, venues, and music artists," Paxton said in the statement.

Paxton said the office is seeking "full accountability under the law," including "restitution to affected states and breaking up Live Nation's monopolies in ticketing and other live entertainment markets to reduce ticket prices and fees for all Americans."

"Today, we successfully secured a verdict against Live Nation holding it liable for its unlawful actions," Paxton said. "We will continue to pursue every possible remedy under the law to hold the company accountable, secure civil penalties, and restore fairness in the live entertainment industry."

Remedies and penalties will be determined at a later date, according to the announcement.