Ohio’s top law enforcement officer is not ready to let Ticketmaster off the hook. Attorney General Dave Yost is sticking with a bloc of state attorneys general who are pressing antitrust claims against Live Nation and Ticketmaster even after the U.S. Department of Justice announced a tentative settlement in March. The deal would let Live Nation keep Ticketmaster while layering on operational limits and a $280 million fund for states, a package many holdouts say does not go nearly far enough. At the same time, lawmakers in Columbus have rolled out legislation to tighten rules on ticket resellers as the legal fight grinds on.
What the DOJ‑Live Nation Deal Puts on the Table
According to a statement from Live Nation, the company would divest certain exclusive amphitheater booking agreements, cap service fees at amphitheaters at roughly 15 percent and allow competing ticketing platforms to sell a share of tickets at venues it controls. The package would also create a $280 million fund to address state claims. Live Nation framed the changes as giving artists and venues more options and emphasized that the agreement includes no admission of wrongdoing. A judge still has to sign off before any of the proposed terms actually take effect.
States Split as New York Leads the Holdouts
New York Attorney General Letitia James and a bipartisan group of state attorneys general blasted the proposed settlement as a half measure that “fails to address the monopoly at the center of this case” and vowed to keep litigating, according to a statement from the New York attorney general’s office. The holdout states argue that behavioral promises will be hard to police and will not cure what they see as Live Nation’s structural leverage over venues, artists and ticketing. With the federal government stepping aside on the DOJ proposal, state lawyers now face the task of carrying the case forward on their own.
Ohio Turns Up the Heat With Local Legislation
As reported by Columbus Underground, Yost remains among the holdouts, and state lawmakers in Columbus have introduced a bill aimed at curbing reseller practices and misleading ticket listings. The local coverage noted that the proposal, first reported by the Ohio Capital Journal and republished locally, would target middlemen and require clearer fee disclosures after venues and arts groups raised complaints about ticketing opacity. Yost’s office did not immediately respond to local requests for comment.
Critics Say the Fix Will Not Be Enough
Industry groups and antitrust observers have panned the deal as too modest. The National Independent Venue Association called the $280 million fund “the equivalent of four days” of Live Nation’s projected 2025 revenue, as covered in Digital Music News, and warned that the deal lacks explicit protections for fans and smaller venues. Even the presiding judge sharply criticized how the settlement was handled, saying the late notice to the court and jurors “shows absolute disrespect for the court, for the jury and this entire process,” as reported by Pollstar.
What Happens Next in Court
With the DOJ’s tentative deal on the table, more than 30 states signaled they would continue the trial on their own and jurors were sent back to court as state attorneys general weighed next steps, according to AP. The states’ motion and court filings detail the procedural problems created when the federal government announced a settlement mid‑trial and argue that the sudden exit prejudices the remaining plaintiffs, as shown in CCH. A judge still must approve any settlement, and holdout states say they will seek injunctive relief or other remedies if the case proceeds without DOJ involvement.
