STORY: Kid Rock is among the critics.
"Should Ticketmaster and Live Nation be broken up? Probably. Would that alone fix things? Not sure it would, but I am sure of this. No artists should be forced to sell their tickets without a say in who sells them and how they are sold."
That was back in January, but now Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation face a legal rebuke too.
A New York jury found Wednesday that the pair operated an illegal monopoly in U.S. live events.
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In a statement, Big Apple Attorney General Letitia James said "a jury found what we have long known to be true: Live Nation and Ticketmaster are breaking the law and costing consumers millions of dollars in the process."
Live Nation has legal challenges pending that might yet undermine the verdict.
But if it stands, the firm could face claims of damages from U.S. states, and even be forced to sell Ticketmaster.
The jury found that Live Nation had illegal monopolies in the market for ticketing services to venues including major amphitheaters.
It said that the company made use of the venues conditional on artists accepting the use of its promotion services, echoing a demand made by Kid Rock in his testimony to Congress:
"Number one, artists should control who sells their tickets and how."
The Department of Justice has already agreed a settlement with Live Nation requiring it to open up access to 13 amphitheaters.
But critics say the deal doesn't go far enough, and some states have said they will step up antitrust actions.
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Live Nation shares closed over 6% lower following the verdict, while competitors including Vivid Seats and StubHub saw their stock jump.
