States ask judge to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster

A federal judge is officially charged with deciding whether to dissolve Live Nation-Ticketmaster.

More than 30 states are asking Judge Arun Subramanian to order the ticketing giant to sell a “sufficient number” of large amphitheatres, and to limit its ability to tie access to its remaining amps to use of its promotional services. In April, a jury found the company was an illegal monopoly, after more than a month of trial. The initial proposed remedies do not include a further dissolution of certain other parts of Live Nation’s business, as California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. The edge and other media outlets they were considering earlier this week, but the states say they reserve the right to make additional requests as they learn more.

It’s unclear how far Subramanian will be willing to go to order relief, but the demands go well beyond what the Justice Department got in its settlement with the company a week into the trial. That deal included a promise to offload some exclusive booking arrangements at more than a dozen amphitheaters, but not the sale of the venues themselves.

The states are also seeking remedies that address specific allegations raised in the lawsuit, such as prohibiting retaliation or conditioning a venue’s ability to receive a concert on the ticketing platform it uses. They are also demanding a range of monetary relief, including reimbursement of overcharges on ticketing fees.