Featured News

Ajax nets deals with SecuTix, TIXnGO

Dutch Eredivisie football club Ajax has appointed cloud-based ticketing solution SecuTix and its sister brand TIXnGO, the secure mobile ticket wallet, as its new ticketing technology partners.

Under the agreement, Ajax will also become a development partner of the SecuTix 360° SaaS ticketing platform and collaborate on new features specific to the sports sector.

The Amsterdam-based club started using TIXnGO this summer as it welcomed limited numbers of home fans back into the Johan Cruyff Arena in a series of pilot events. This culminated in 10,000 fans at the game on September 20 receiving their tickets using the TIXnGO mobile ticket wallet.

TIXnGO uses blockchain technology to create an encrypted ticket for smartphones that is verified, removes the risk of counterfeit tickets and simplifies the process of transferring or reselling tickets for Ajax fans.

Menno Geelen, commercial director at Ajax, said: “This overhaul of our ticketing strategy will future proof our ticketing business, with endless possibilities for integrating ticketing and its data with our ambitions for the wider digital experience. We look forward to working with both the TIXnGO and SecuTix teams to serve our fans better and develop the best global ticketing platform in football.”

The SecuTix 360° ticketing engagement platform will be phased in from now onwards, starting with the Ajax Women and youth teams. Tickets for Ajax men’s first team will be sold through the new system from early 2021.

SecuTix will help the club improve its fan experience, better understand fans and use ticketing data to boost attendance. The open platform will be integrated with other third-party software providers, giving Ajax the flexibility to work with its preferred solutions for the club and its fans, including TIXnGO.

Ajax sponsors and partners will also benefit from the new system with the ability to independently manage and distribute their tickets whilst providing data collection for the club.

Frédéric Longatte, chief executive of SecuTix and TIXnGO, added: “We’re excited to be working with one of the world’s top football clubs. From the start, it was clear we shared similar values and goals. We’re both globally ambitious and want to lead the way in sports innovation.

“I’m delighted that Ajax has also become our first football club Development Partner. This is a commitment to invest in developing brand new features with us that will improve the fan experience and drive greater engagement with the club. Together, we can deliver real progress and change in sports ticketing.”

In April, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced that the 2019-20 Eredivisie season would not be completed, with no team to be crowned champion. Ajax and AZ Alkmaar had been level on points at the top of the table before the season was suspended in March due to COVID-19.