Rachel Abrams

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Okay, thanks so much.

Here's today's show.

From The New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily.

For years, music fans have said they felt ripped off by Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation.

And last week, a jury ruled that they were right and that the company is, in fact, a monopoly.

And so today, music reporter Ben Cesario breaks down the dramatic trial that unfolded, what it may mean for concertgoers, and why the federal government's handling of the case is now under scrutiny.

It's Thursday, April 23rd.

Ben, welcome back to The Daily.

You were in the courtroom for, I think, six weeks following the trial of probably one of the most reviled companies in this country, which is Live Nation.

The case, of course, ended last week with a jury's verdict.

So just to start us off, how big of a deal is this?

You know, when we talk about monopolies, the first kind of companies that come to mind might be tech giants or every other kind of company besides a concert company, right?

So I sort of wonder why concerts and Live Nation got on the government's radar specifically.

Taylor Swift, I've heard of her.

What happened in that situation?

I've spent my whole day from 10 a.m.

until this point trying to get tickets to see Taylor Swift.

I remember people being furious.

That all makes sense.