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Judge Rejects Live Nation’s Bid to Move Antitrust Case to DC
October8
A U.S. judge has denied Live Nation's request to move the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit
A U.S. judge has denied Live Nation`s request to move the Department of Justice`s antitrust lawsuit against it from New York to Washington DC.
Live Nation argued that a 2010 agreement with the DoJ required the case to be heard in DC and claimed DC would be a more convenient venue.
However, Judge Arun Subramanian rejected both arguments, stating that the case doesn’t fall under the scope of the 2010 agreement, known as the ‘consent decree,’ and that Live Nation failed to prove DC would be more convenient.
The 2010 consent decree allowed Live Nation`s merger with Ticketmaster, but Subramanian clarified that the decree didn’t shield the company from future antitrust challenges. Live Nation is accused of both violating the decree and engaging in broader anti-competitive behavior.
The DoJ seeks to force Live Nation to sell Ticketmaster, effectively undoing the merger, which Live Nation believes should be handled by a DC court. However, the judge disagreed, stating that nothing in the decree prevents this lawsuit from being heard in New York.
Regarding convenience, Subramanian noted that Live Nation itself admitted New York and DC are equally convenient, and switching venues now would disrupt the case, which is already advancing towards trial in 2026.
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