DOJ settlement opens ticketing competition for venues without breaking up Live Nation

Live Nation and Ticketmaster reached a DOJ antitrust settlement that would let venues sell tickets through competitors such as SeatGeek and StubHub (ending exclusive deals), require the sale of 13 amphitheaters (potentially more if more states join), and include a $280 million payout to sign-on states. The agreement stops short of breaking up the companies, and a federal judge must sign off on it. However about 26 states plus DC plan to continue their lawsuits, led by New York and California, while the deal comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the ticketing giant following the 2022 Taylor Swift ticketing glitches.