Live Nation executives reportedly bypassed the Justice Department’s antitrust division by negotiating directly with more sympathetic senior officials in hopes of avoiding a monopoly lawsuit. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” Traffic lights reports that some talks have ruled out antitrust chief Gail Slater, who has pushed for a trial in March after inheriting the case from the Biden administration.
The lawsuit filed in May 2024 by the DOJ and 30 state and district attorneys general seeks to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster, alleging that Live Nation’s dominance provides unfair commercial advantages that allow it to illegally stifle competition in the live entertainment industry. The Trump administration’s pro-business mentality has clashed for months with Slater’s skepticism about major corporate mergers, according to Traffic lightswhich affects the prospects for a crackdown on antitrust litigation.
“This report contains misinformation about an ongoing case that is confidential, but what can be said is that AAG Slater is deeply involved” in the Live Nation case, a Justice Department spokesperson said. Traffic lights. “Anonymous attempts to change markets or outcomes will not undermine the integrity of this process. This DOJ will always pursue what is in the best interests of the American people.”
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