Industry News

Cancelled NFL game gives fans option to donate to Hurricane Harvey relief

Fans have been told they can get a full refund or donate the cost of their match tickets to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts after today’s NFL preseason game between Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys was cancelled.

The tropical cyclone has brought 40 inches of rain to some areas of Texas in the last few days, and it was announced on Monday that the game would officially be moved from flooded Houston to the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

However, the game has now been called off, with the Texans saying that the “priority of our organisation is getting our players, coaches and staff back home to be reunited with their families”.

Tickets for the Texans-Cowboys game went on sale for $25 on Tuesday night, and more than 40,000 were sold, with the proceeds going to the hurricane relief fund. Organisers said those who have purchased tickets to the game can get a refund; if not, the money will still go to the relief fund.

The Texans said in a statement that its owners “will make a donation equal to the money that would have been generated from ticket sales.”

Prior to the cancellation, StubHub had banned the resale of tickets for the game after it was announced that all proceeds from ticket sales, parking and concessions would go to relief efforts.

Soon after going on sale tickets began reappearing on resale sites, to the outrage of many locals.

Some were being offered for more than double face value on StubHub before the eBay-owned platform took action.

“Given the charitable nature of this event we will not be allowing ticket sales,” read a message on StubHub’s site.

The company tweeted that 100 per cent of the profits from through sales made before the decision will be donated to Harvey relief.

StubHub, GetMeIn!, Seatwave and Viagogo each refused to list tickets for Ariana Grande’s charity concert for the victims of the Manchester terror attack earlier this year.

IMAGE: Defense.org