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Barcelona implements intelligent ticket sales to boost attendance

Barcelona FC has launched its analytical ticket sales model in an effort to better manage the marketing of ticket sales to boost attendance.

The LaLiga giants announced the changes to its Seient Lliure ticket resale programme in October.

The update will calculate the number of tickets available for non-season-ticket holders to purchase for any given match day, with the number based on data gathered from the last five years. The platform will also take into account the opposition team, the scheduling of the match and the likely weather conditions.

As it stands, 37 per cent of the seats for matches at Camp Nou are released in the last 72 hours before the game. The new sales system will allow access to purchase tickets without having to wait for the release of the Seient Lliure.

Barcelona has also partnered with 3D Digital Venue to boost its ticket sales using its interactive three-screen, 360-degree 3D seat view.

During the 2017-18 season, Barcelona topped the LaLiga attendance chart, though only averaged 65,824 per game – significantly less than the Camp Nou’s capacity of 99,354. In the first games played this season, Barcelona said average attendance has increased by around 9 per cent. This percentage is broken down by a 4 per cent improvement in attendance by member season ticket holders and a 14 per cent improvement in the sale of tickets.

Member season ticket holders who release their seats more than 20 days in advance of a given match, besides guaranteeing the amount stipulated for their seat, will continue to enjoy a 20 per cent bonus added to the amount settled. For season ticket holders who release their seat more than 10 days in advance, the guaranteed payment shall be maintained, whether or not their seat is sold.

Member season ticket holders who release their seat after these deadlines will only receive payment if their seat is sold. Settlements will only be paid to a special account, which will accumulate all Seient Lliure payments through to the end of the season. The resulting amount will then be deducted from the cost of the member’s season ticket for the 2019-20 campaign.

Seient Lliure limits the amount a member season ticket holder may recoup, up to a maximum of 95 per cent of the annual cost of their season ticket.

Image: Barcelona FC