SeatGeek has launched its primary ticket platform as it bids to take music and sports events directly to the consumer.
The operator, which has focused on the secondary market until now, said its new SeatGeek Open platform will allow sports franchises, artists and others to sell tickets directly through third-party websites and apps, including online retailers, social media websites and travel tools.
SeatGeek said the objective is to sell tickets to fans “in places where fans are spending time and consuming content” online. For instance, a fan booking a room on Airbnb might be offered tickets directly from the hometown team.
The platform launch comes soon after SeatGeek was announced as the new official ticketing partner of the North American football competition, Major League Soccer.
“The whole thing is centred around radical openness,” co-founder Jack Groetzinger told the FOXBusiness website.
Groetzinger said primary ticket sales should begin early next year, with MLS franchise Sporting Kansas City becoming the first team to team up with SeatGeek on primary sales.
SeatGeek also aims to lead convergence between primary and secondary ticket markets by creating one ecosystem for both. Through SeatGeek Open, sports teams and artists can host a marketplace for customers to sell or transfer tickets, and secondary sales can be processed by multiple digital partners.
The company also said its barcode-verification technology will be made available to other ticket sellers such as StubHub.
Groetzinger added: “From a fan’s experience, you don’t really care about primary and secondary. As long as you know your ticket will get you into the event, who cares, right? It’s not like buying a used car.”
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