Reddit Is Piling Into $LYV Puts After Ticketmaster Gets Rinsed by a Jury
A landmark jury verdict against the live events monopoly has Reddit's DD crowd sharpening their pencils — and their pitchforks
Ticker Ratings
| Ticker | Rating | Entry Price | Current | $ Gain | % Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYV Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. | sell | $156.99 | — | — | — |
Reddit's investing communities are in full feeding frenzy mode after a jury found $LYV (Live Nation/Ticketmaster) guilty of illegally monopolizing the live events industry — overcharging fans $1.72 per ticket across 22 states, with damages potentially scaling into the hundreds of millions. The kicker? The DOJ bailed mid-trial via a quiet settlement, but 34 states and DC stayed in the fight and won anyway. That's not a legal footnote, that's a plot twist.
High-upvote DD threads are zeroing in on one brutal detail: antitrust expert Harry First argues two prior consent decrees over 16 years failed to restore competition, making a full breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster the only remedy with teeth. WSB sentiment has swung decisively bearish on $LYV — the "monopoly moat" thesis is looking less like a moat and more like a liability.
Meanwhile, macro Reddit is stressing about a consumer already drowning in credit card debt getting hit with $4+ gas and $12.99 watermelons at Walmart — which means discretionary spending on concerts is the last thing surviving the squeeze. Bad timing to be the villain of live entertainment.