On November 24, 2025, Taylor Swift fans (known as “Swifties”) got good news when a federal district court judge in Los Angeles ruled that the Swifties’ antitrust lawsuit against defendants Live Nation and Ticketmaster (its subsidiary) could proceed.
The defendants filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. Judge George Wu granted the motions in part by dismissing some of plaintiff’s claims, including fraud and negligence. However, the judge’s ruling allows the important antitrust and California consumer protection claims to proceed.
Swift’s Eras Tour was a huge success, grossing over two billion dollars. It sold out more than 149 stadiums around the world with over 10 million fans attending.
The lawsuit was filed in 2023, alleging “unfair” ticketing for the Eras Tour. There are approximately 355 plaintiffs contending that the defendants misled fans and favored bots and scalpers, thus breaking antitrust laws. The plaintiffs claimed that Ticketmaster’s ticket buying system was poorly prepared for the huge demand for tickets and that bots were permitted to buy huge numbers of tickets. The judge stated that the original Complaint contained insufficient detail and has now allowed the plaintiffs to amend their Complaint.
The lawsuit arose as a result of the 2022 Eras Tour presale. This case was actually the second time the court has denied the defendants’ attempts to dismiss the entire lawsuit.
The plaintiffs’ claim in their lawsuit that Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, violated antitrust law by creating a monopoly over aspects of the live entertainment business. Defendants’ ticket purchasing system fell apart after incredible public demand and bot activity when the tour tickets went on sale. Millions of fans who attempted to buy tickets were unsuccessful in finalizing their purchases. The plaintiffs claimed that this happened because Ticketmaster allowed bots and scalpers to come in and purchase tickets.
The judge rejected the defendants’ position that the plaintiffs’ arguments improperly relied on the US Department of Justice’s separate antitrust lawsuit. That action was about Live Nation’s domination of arenas and amphitheaters, as opposed to the huge stadiums Swift performed at.
The judge stated:
“None of these allegations clearly indicate that the government action excludes conduct related to stadiums” and the court saw “no meaningful distinction between arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums” that would undercut the fans dependence on the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit.”
The plaintiffs alleged that defendants’ control over ticketing, promotion, and major stadiums created an anticompetitive environment whereby fans had no alternative to buy tickets. The defendants’ ticketing system was not prepared for the overwhelming demand for tickets. Ticketmaster’s platform crashed during pre-sales and millions of fans could not purchase tickets at face value, which led to resale prices skyrocketing.
GLENN LITWAK is a veteran entertainment attorney based in Santa Monica, CA. He has represented platinum selling recording artists, GRAMMY-winning music producers, hit songwriters, management and production companies, music publishers and independent record labels. Litwak is also a frequent speaker at music industry conferences around the country, such as South by Southwest and the Billboard Music in Film and TV Conference. Litwak has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer magazine for 2022-2025. Email Litwak at gtllaw59@gmail.com or visit glennlitwak.com.
This article is a very brief overview of the subject matter and does not constitute legal advice.
