Trump spoke with Live Nation CEO before DOJ reached surprise antitrust settlement - BERITAJA

President Trump said pinch Live Nation’s main executive soon earlier the Department of Justice reached a astonishment colony successful its high-profile antitrust lawsuit against the unrecorded intermezo elephantine and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster.

Live Nation disclosed that Trump and the company’s president and CEO, Michael Rapino, said successful February about a “variety of topics” related to the company, including the position of the government’s lawsuit. The brace did not talk immoderate “substantive terms” regarding a imaginable settlement, according to tribunal documents.

The filing revealed that the White House Counsel’s agency participated successful immoderate colony discussions held successful February and March, which took spot done in-person meetings, video conferences, telephone calls, and written communications betwixt the institution and the Justice Department.

On March 5, representatives of Live Nation, the Antitrust Division, the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, and the White House Counsel’s agency met to finalize the projected settlement’s terms, according to tribunal documents.

The national authorities and dozens of states initially revenge an antitrust title against Live Nation successful 2024, alleging that the institution had monopolized the unrecorded intermezo manufacture by controlling ticketing, performance booking, venues, and promotions. Live Nation began pursuing a colony pinch the Trump management successful February 2025.

The institution and the Department of Justice struck a woody successful March, pursuing a week of proceedings testimony. The colony required Ticketmaster to divest up to 13 amphitheaters, reserve 50% of tickets for nonexclusive venues, and headdress ticketing work fees astatine 15%. A elder Justice Department charismatic said astatine the clip that the statement would little prices by expanding choices for some artists and consumers.

Some states agreed to those terms, however, but galore authorities attorneys wide fiercely rejected the projected colony and continued pursuing the lawsuit independently.

In April, aft about 5 weeks of proceedings and grounds from dozens of witnesses, a assemblage recovered that Live Nation and Ticketmaster had illegally maintained monopoly power. The assemblage wished that Ticketmaster overcharged concertgoers successful the plaintiff authorities by $1.72 per summons astatine “major performance venues” arsenic a consequence of its anticompetitive conduct.

“The jury’s verdict is not the past connection connected this matter. Pending motions will find whether the liability and damages rulings stand,” the institution said astatine the time.“We stay assured that the eventual result of the States’ lawsuit will not beryllium materially different than what is envisioned by the DOJ settlement.”

The national judge presiding complete the lawsuit will yet determine whether to o.k. the colony and the remedies successful ray of the verdict.

The White House declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department, which did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.