The Next Phase Determines Who the Remedies Relieve
On April 15, 2026, a federal jury in the Southern District of New York found Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster liable for illegally monopolizing the live music business. The jury determined the companies overcharged consumers by an average of $1.72 per ticket in certain markets across 22 states.
The verdict established liability. It did not establish remedies. That determination is now before Judge Arun Subramanian. On April 24, 2026, all parties filed a joint letter with the court outlining their proposed schedules for post-trial briefing, Tunney Act proceedings, and the remedies phase. Document 1446, Case No. 1:24-cv-03973-AS.
The letter reveals three separate and conflicting proposed timelines from the Department of Justice, the 34 state plaintiff coalition, and the defendants.
Two Tracks Running Simultaneously
The remedies phase runs alongside a separate federal settlement reached before the jury rendered its verdict.
On March 5, 2026, one week into trial, the Department of Justice reached a settlement with Live Nation. The terms included a $280 million settlement fund for participating states, divestiture of up to 13 amphitheater booking agreements, a cap on service fees at 15 percent at certain venues, and behavioral prohibitions against retaliating against venues that choose competing ticketers. Ticketmaster was not broken up from Live Nation. No admission of wrongdoing was required.
Room Reports previously documented the political sequence that preceded that settlement. That reporting is available at roomsreport.com.
Six states joined the federal settlement. A bipartisan coalition of 34 states and the District of Columbia rejected the terms as insufficient and continued litigating independently. That coalition won the April 15 verdict.
The DOJ settlement now requires Tunney Act review. According to Document 1446, the Department of Justice intends to file the proposed final judgment, stipulation and order, and explanation of procedures by late May 2026. The DOJ will move for entry of final judgment in early or mid-September 2026, after the 60-day public comment period and all other Tunney Act requirements are satisfied.
What the States Are Proposing
The 34 state coalition, representing Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, has proposed that fact discovery relating to remedies occur concurrently with the 60-day Tunney Act comment period.
The states have further proposed that the court reserve its Tunney Act public-interest determination until after the remedies hearing is complete, citing the Microsoft antitrust litigation as precedent. Under that framework both determinations would be issued simultaneously.
The states’ proposed remedies schedule begins 45 days after the court resolves the defendants’ post-trial motions and proceeds through expert submissions, depositions, remedies briefs, and an evidentiary hearing at the court’s convenience.
What the Defendants Are Proposing
Live Nation and Ticketmaster have proposed that remedies proceedings follow both the resolution of their post-trial motions and the completion of the Tunney Act proceedings. The defendants argue that proceeding in parallel would be inefficient and prejudicial and that the DOJ settlement will establish a binding baseline of equitable relief that the court cannot evaluate without knowing its precise contours.
The defendants have also requested that the court require the plaintiff states to file a framework of remedies still sought within 10 days of entry of final judgment between the DOJ and the defendants before any discovery commences.
Under the defendants’ proposed schedule, fact discovery would begin 10 days after the states file their remedies framework and conclude 90 days later. Expert reports, depositions, proposed final judgments, and an evidentiary hearing would follow in sequence.
The Post-Trial Briefing Schedule
All parties have jointly agreed to the following post-trial briefing schedule.
Defendants’ opening briefs are due May 21, 2026. The plaintiff states’ opposition briefs are due June 18, 2026. The defendants’ reply briefs are due July 2, 2026. A hearing on post-trial briefs is scheduled at the court’s convenience after July 9, 2026.
The plaintiff states intend to submit an additional brief opposing the defendants’ motion to strike the testimony of damages expert Dr. Rosa Abrantes-Metz. The defendants oppose additional briefing on that motion, arguing the issue is fully briefed.
What Has Not Changed
The buildings Live Nation controls have not changed ownership. The ticketing infrastructure has not been broken up. The consent decree extended under the DOJ settlement remains in effect.
The joint scheduling letter filed April 24, 2026 is the first detailed public record of how all parties propose to structure the proceedings that will determine whether the April 15 verdict produces structural change in the live entertainment industry.
Judge Subramanian has not yet ruled on the proposed schedules. No remedies have been ordered. No damages have been assessed.
Room Reports will continue covering the documented record as it develops.
The documentation is public. The sources are held and available upon request.
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