Industry News

Ticketmaster extends partnership with Chiefs

Ticketmaster has boosted its NFL franchise portfolio after extending its partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Under the deal, the ticketing giant will continue to provide fans with account management, ticket buying, transferring, resale, and venue entry at the Arrowhead Stadium for another five years.

“Whether it’s cheering on the Chiefs or seeing their favourite artists play live, we’re providing fans with the easiest, most-enjoyable live event experiences possible,” Greg Economou, chief commercial officer and head of sports for Ticketmaster, North America, said.

“By utilising top of the line technology, Ticketmaster’s extended deal with the Chiefs and Arrowhead Events will benefit fans by creating a personalised experience and preventing the spread of fake tickets and will provide the club with increased insights into the ticketing lifecycle and fan preferences.”

More than 800,000 tickets and parking passes at Arrowhead were transferred digitally among fans in 2017, an increase of 760,000 since 2011.

“Our priority when it comes to ticketing at Arrowhead is to make sure that fans have a seamless experience from start to finish,” Chiefs’ vice president of ticketing, Tyler Kirby, said.

“We want them to have all of the conveniences of digital ticketing to better protect them from fraud while making ticket management easier than ever. We’re seeing fans transferring their tickets digitally in record numbers, sometimes minutes before the game, which is also reflective of the larger trend in ticketing everywhere.

“It’s especially important for the Chiefs that we take measures to protect and support those transactions.”

While season ticket members will still have their exclusive card for entry, all other stadium entry will be mobile-only.

This year, the Chiefs said the club is set to test Ticketmaster’s Presence software that incorporates NFC technology, allowing fans the ability to tap and go using their mobile devices for even easier venue entry.

“Ultimately, we have to adapt to what consumers are needing in a ticketing experience while doing everything possible to protect their tickets throughout that process,” Kirby said.

“It’s important to make sure our fans feel confident that they can purchase tickets easily and confidently from official sources, like our partners at Ticketmaster, for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ll have no issues getting in at the stadium gate.

“And that, likewise, they have so many great ticket management options, within seconds, to transfer or sell their tickets safely if they cannot attend an event.”

Image: .Sanden.