The Ticketmaster Breakup Trial Just Got Messier

It's one of the biggest antitrust trials in the country. The fight to break up the concert giant Live Nation and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster. And in the weeks leading up to the trial, our colleague Dave Michaels kept hearing the same thing. I was checking in very often, and I was told without any doubt from sources on both sides, it's going. It's on. And when the trial finally began this month, the justice department came out swinging. The trial had started on March 2. Uh-huh. And the first week had gone really well for the justice department. They had put on some of their strongest witnesses, people who were talking about the justice department's theory of this case, which is that Live Nation and Ticketmaster kinda work in combination to lock up all parts of this entertainment business. The trial was entertainment business. The trial was expected to last months. But after just one week, a bombshell. Live Nation has reached a surprise settlement in its antitrust case with the justice department. The two sides now reaching a tentative agreement that avoids breaking up the world's largest live entertainment company. Under the surprise deal, there would be new limits on exclusivity, fees, and venue access, But there would be no breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. So we got a settlement. Is the case over? Well, the Justice Department was quarterbacking this trial, and they're out of the game now, but that doesn't mean the trial is over. They're gonna have to hand the ball off, and it'll continue. Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. Mendoza. It's Monday, March 16. Coming up on the show, deal or no deal? Why the Live Nation antitrust trial lives on. This episode of The Journal is presented by Intuit Enterprise Suite. If your finance team spends more time finding data than using it, if there's one entity here and one here and one here and one here, if scaling your business feels like starting over, you need the Intuit ERP. Intuit enterprise suite, the AI native ERP is here from the makers of QuickBooks. Learn more at intuit.com/erp. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tremfya offers self injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tremfya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under Tremfya, proper training is required. Tremfya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu like symptoms, or if you need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tremfya today. Call 1805267736 to learn more, or visit tremfyaradio.com. Live Nation isn't just a …