Event costs, pre-emption rights, fees, taxes, surcharges, insurance for the personal ticket, and so on. A common practice, on both sides of the Atlantic, that for years has plagued music fans (and others) who simply want to buy a ticket for their favorite artist. And it doesn’t matter if the price increases for live shows have already skyrocketed: sales and distribution companies are also to blame, especially where an illegal monopoly exists.

And that’s exactly what a New York jury ruled, effectively convicting Ticketmaster and Live Nation, perhaps the most influential companies in this world, for unfair commercial practices, in a sort of “fraudulent ticket exclusivity.” Economic and material damage that has always fallen on consumers and that, starting today, could even open the door to a substantial compensation of nearly $450 million (just under €400 million at current exchange rates). The legal process, however, is still long, especially since Live Nation has already announced its intention to appeal.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation on trial: the ruling that could change everything

Let’s start directly with the ruling. After five weeks of trial and four days of deliberations, a federal jury in New York has established what consumers, artists, and industry professionals have suspected for years: Live Nation built and maintained a monopolistic system in the live events market, violating US antitrust laws. It wasn’t a single plaintiff who took the giant to court, but an unprecedented coalition of over 30 US states, later expanded to 34 during the proceedings, determined to dismantle a model deemed harmful to the entire music ecosystem.

At the heart of the accusation is so-called vertical integration: Live Nation doesn’t just promote concerts, but also controls the venues and, through Ticketmaster, ticket sales. This closed supply chain, according to the judges, has stifled competition, forcing arenas and venues to use its services and leaving artists with increasingly limited choice.

The jury also confirmed a concrete fact: Ticketmaster applied an average surcharge of $1.72 per ticket at hundreds of large venues—a seemingly minor detail, but one that, when multiplied across millions of transactions, reveals a huge economic impact.

The court is now in the District Judge’s court, Arun Subramanian, who will determine the corrective measures: these range from financial penalties to more drastic measures, such as the separation of the group’s assets. Meanwhile, Live Nation is preparing its defense, contesting the verdict and announcing an appeal. However, the system could truly change starting today.

Compensation: Here’s why we’re talking about nearly €400 million

The most delicate issue now concerns financial compensation, a matter that’s far from over, but its contours are already being defined. The jury has established liability, but the judge will quantify the overall damages based on the data emerging in court. And this is where the typical American law mechanism comes into play: tripled damages.

In the United States, in the case of antitrust violations, the law allows the assessed damages to be multiplied up to threefold. In this specific case, Live Nation itself has provided an initial defensive estimate: considering the average surcharge of $1.72 per ticket applied to only a portion of sales (limited to certain venues and purchases made directly by fans over the last five years), the “baseline” damages would amount to approximately $150 million.

From this figure, the potential compensation can be calculated: applying the tripling provided for by antitrust law, the potential threshold would be approximately $450 million, or just under €400 million. This range explains why this is already one of the largest compensation awards in the recent history of the industry.

In parallel, Live Nation has already set aside over $280 million as part of a separate agreement with the Department of Justice, a sort of nest egg that also represents a concrete sign of the economic weight of the affair. For consumers, the refund could translate into direct compensation or other forms of collective compensation. But beyond the figures, it’s the legal precedent that really matters, given that this is the first time the ticketing system has been so clearly and clearly criticized.

Original article published on Money.it Italy. Original title: Il monopolio dei biglietti è illegale. Storica sentenza contro Ticketmaster e Live Nation-