AEG and SeatGeek ask judge to reject Live Nation-Ticketmaster settlement

AEG and SeatGeek are asking a federal judge to reject the Justice Department’s proposed antitrust settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster, arguing that the agreement would leave Ticketmaster’s control of major concert venues largely intact.

The objections were filed before the Tunney Act public-comment period closed on September 4, 2026. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian has not approved or rejected the proposed judgment. The Justice Department must respond to the comments before the court decides whether the agreement serves the public interest.

What the proposed judgment would change

The proposed judgment would not separate Ticketmaster from Live Nation or require a broad sale of the ticketing business. Instead, it would impose contracting and conduct requirements and extend Live Nation’s existing consent decree by eight years.

Under the proposal, certain major concert venues would receive the option of using a fully or partially nonexclusive ticketing contract. Ticketmaster also would have to let eligible rival providers sell some tickets through a proposed open-distribution system, subject to eligibility, venue, contract-term and inventory conditions.

For some existing exclusive contracts, the proposal would allow a major concert venue to use a rival marketplace for one event in each remaining contract year. Venues with at least four years remaining on certain contracts also could move up to 20% of fee-bearing primary-ticket inventory to an eligible rival, under the judgment’s conditions.

At covered Live Nation amphitheaters, the proposal would limit Ticketmaster service fees on tickets it sells to 15% of face value. That is not a universal cap on every ticket-related charge, every venue or every type of ticket.

The proposed judgment also would restrict conduct such as conditioning venue services on ticketing choices and using certain information from tickets sold through third-party marketplaces. These provisions would take effect only if the court enters the judgment.

Why AEG and SeatGeek object

AEG, which competes with Live Nation in concert promotion and operates venues, is seeking stronger structural relief. Its requested remedies include a court-ordered sale of Ticketmaster and a ban or tighter limits on long-term exclusive Ticketmaster contracts with major concert venues.

SeatGeek has raised a different concern about the proposed open-distribution model. The company argues that rivals could remain dependent on Ticketmaster’s back-end software and infrastructure, leaving Ticketmaster as the underlying system through which competing marketplaces operate rather than creating fully independent alternatives.

Those are arguments made by companies challenging the proposal, not findings by Judge Subramanian. Live Nation has said the objections reflect competitors’ commercial interests and that the settlement would provide meaningful consumer relief.

What the judge must decide

The Tunney Act requires a federal court to review a proposed antitrust judgment and determine whether it is in the public interest. The process includes public notice and an opportunity for interested parties to submit comments.

In this case, the Justice Department must file its response to the comments before Judge Subramanian rules. The court could approve, modify or reject the proposed judgment. No outcome has been announced.

What it could mean for fans and venues

The decision could influence how major concert venues negotiate ticketing contracts and how much practical access rival platforms have to primary-ticket inventory. It could also affect the service fees fans see on some tickets, although the proposal does not guarantee lower prices or broader competition.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has separately documented the role of primary and resale fees, venue contracts and market concentration in live-event ticketing. That report provides context for the consumer stakes but does not decide whether this settlement satisfies the Tunney Act.

The central dispute is whether limited nonexclusive options, conditional inventory access and conduct restrictions would create meaningful competition while preserving the Live Nation-Ticketmaster corporate relationship. AEG and SeatGeek say they would not. The Justice Department’s proposed judgment takes a different approach from a full separation.

For consumers, there is no immediate change to ticket-buying rules. The next steps to watch are the Justice Department’s response to public comments, any additional court filing or hearing, and Judge Subramanian’s public-interest ruling.

Sources

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