Viagogo hit with Rugby World Cup penalty
July proved an expensive month for Viagogo as the marketplace was hit with a €400,000 penalty for the unauthorised resale of tickets for the Rugby World Cup France 2023. Tournament organisers welcomed the ruling by the Paris Court of Justice, which recognised the infringement of France 2023’s operating monopoly. Viagogo said it opposes “anti-competitive actions” taken by event organisers to restrict purchasing and resale options.
Women’s World Cup milestone
Also during the month, a milestone was celebrated as ticket sales for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup reached a record 1.5 million. The tickets were purchased by Maria Strong, who was organising a family outing to the fixture between Italy and Argentina at Auckland’s Eden Park. FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with the family and offered them the opportunity to attend the remaining games in the tournament at the Auckland venue!
TicketManager’s hospitality warning
Not all is rosy however, as we were reminded by TicketManager chief executive Tony Knopp in an eye-catching LinkedIn post. He warned sports teams they must learn to adapt if they are to survive the weakening of demand for lucrative corporate tickets across North America. The leader of the California-headquartered event and guest management platform said data shows “a blood bath is coming in sports ticket, suite and sponsorship renewals” over the coming year, which he believes will be the worst since the financial crisis of 2008-10 as squeezed companies ruthlessly cut costs.
Ticketek partners Spotify
It was an important month for TEG-owned Ticketek as it became a ticketing partner for Spotify’s Live Events Feed. The partnership provides Spotify users with access to the latest Ticketek events through the streaming platform, enhancing the convenience and accessibility of live event discovery when using the app.