Ticketmaster, founded in Phoenix in 1976, is a global ticket sales giant that merged with concert promoter Live Nation in 2010 to form Live Nation Entertainment. The company has long faced scrutiny over its hefty service fees and market dominance, which led to a 10-year consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that was extended through 2025. Its controversial handling of the pre-sale for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in November 2022 sparked a formal DOJ investigation and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2023. In May 2024, the DOJ and a coalition of 40 states launched a major antitrust lawsuit against the company. A jury verdict in April 2026 found that Live Nation held an illegal monopoly, enabling Ticketmaster to overcharge on ticket prices. Historically, the company rose to market leadership after acquiring rival Ticketron in 1991, and was later majority-owned by Paul Allen and InterActiveCorp.