A federal jury has found Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster illegally held monopoly power in the ticketing market, delivering a landmark antitrust verdict against the live entertainment giant. The case was brought by the U.S. Department of Justice alongside 34 states, reflecting unusually broad prosecutorial coalition behind the challenge. Jurors reached their decision after roughly five weeks of trial proceedings and a deliberation period. Live Nation controls a vertically integrated grip across concert promotion, venue management, and primary ticketing through Ticketmaster, a structure that sat at the center of the government's case. The verdict opens the door to structural remedies, potentially including a forced divestiture of Ticketmaster from Live Nation, which would directly reshape how primary ticketing services are distributed and priced across the U.S. concert industry. Competitors, venue operators, and artists seeking fairer fee structures will be watching the remedies phase closely, as that proceeding will determine whether the ruling produces market-level change or remains a legal finding without lasting structural consequence.
HDFC Bank's board has approved Rajiv Kumar, former Chief Election Commissioner and financial services secretary, as its Part-time Non-Executive Chairman from June 30, 2026. His chairmanship still requires RBI approval, but the move ends the bank's prolonged search for a permanent board leader.
Indian startups raised $1.1 billion across 16 deals in the week of June 21-26, 2026, up 2.5 times from the prior week, with CRED's $900 million Series H led by Meta accounting for most of the total. Square Yards became India's 131st unicorn after closing a $95 million round.
Jet fuel costs dropped sharply after a US-Iran interim peace deal, but airlines are expected to use the savings to rebuild margins rather than cut fares. Tight capacity, aircraft delivery delays, and weak budget carriers give major carriers unusual pricing power heading into the second half of 2026.
Meta is investing $900 million in CRED at a $4.5 billion valuation, the largest Indian startup round of 2026, as founder Kunal Shah moves to a global leadership role at WhatsApp. Miten Sampat takes over as interim CEO, and a major employee stock buyback is expected within weeks.
