Live Nation & Ticketmaster Lose Monopoly Lawsuit in Jury Trial Spurred by Taylor Swift

Live Nation -- which owns Ticketmaster -- was dealt a massive blow Wednesday when a federal jury found the concert company operated an illegal monopoly over ticketing for live entertainment.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta applauded the verdict in a statement ... calling it "a historic and resounding victory for artists, fans, and the venues that support them," according to NBC News.

Remember ... Taylor Swift slammed Ticketmaster back in 2022, when fans were furious over issues getting tickets for her shows. There were difficulties and delays during the presale, leading TM to cancel the public sale.

Not to mention, resale prices were outrageous ... skyrocketing up to tens of thousands of dollars in some stadiums.

The Justice Department ultimately brought the antitrust case against Live Nation in 2024 -- under Joe Biden's administration -- and dozens of states joined in on the action.

Last month, Donald Trump's DOJ settled the federal case with the ticketing conglomerate ... but more than 30 states -- including CA, NY, MA, AZ, OH and PA -- rejected that deal in favor of continuing with the civil trial.

Bonta praised the states' attorneys general for their perseverance, saying ... "In the face of dwindling antitrust enforcement by the Trump Administration, this verdict shows just how far states can go to protect our residents from big corporations that are using their power to illegally raise prices and rip off Americans."