StubHub is pushing for growth in Canada through the launch of a new country-focused website that will offer French-language services and the ability to make transactions in Canadian dollars.
According to Montreal’s CTV News, the San Francisco-headquartered ticket reseller said it wants to address shortcomings in the Canadian market, its second-largest after the US. StubHub sold more than one million tickets to 5,000-plus events in Canada last year.
Canadians looking to buy or sell tickets on StubHub for games, concerts and other events have to do so in US dollars. Jeff Poirier, general manager of StubHub Canada, told CTV News that the currency option will be added with the launch of a Canadian website in the second half of the year for events in Canada, and eventually consumers will be able to purchase tickets to events around the world in Canadian dollars.
“There is an obvious opportunity for us to better serve consumers here in Canada with a localised product,” Poirier said.
StubHub said that the Canadian ticket market is estimated at more than CAN$6bn (£3.6bn/€4.3bn/$4.6bn), with reselling at about $1.5bn.
The laws governing ticket reselling vary by province in Canada. In Quebec, brokers are unable to resell a ticket for more than face value without first obtaining permission from the ticket’s original vendor.
However, Poirier said: “We believe that in Montreal and Quebec City – those key markets in Quebec – should be driving more sales and that what we’re lacking is the user experience that Quebecers would want and deserve to have.”
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