The MLS has struck a multi-year partnership with SeatGeek that will lead to the creation of a new ticketing platform. Under this agreement, teams will be given more flexibility in choosing which apps and entities can resell tickets.
Under the partnership, SeatGeek will collaborate with the league and its clubs to introduce an integrated ticketing platform that will be made available to all clubs. SeatGeek will also become the Official Ticketing Partner of Major League Soccer.
“We couldn’t have chosen a better partner for our first sports partnership than Major League Soccer. Given its rapid growth and deeply engaged fanbase, MLS is the ideal partner to drive forward our brand new, open ticketing experience,” said SeatGeek co-founder Jack Groetzinger. “We’re thrilled to work hand in hand over the coming years with MLS to bring fan-friendly, mobile-first ticketing to market and help allow millions more soccer fans to experience MLS.”
SeatGeek’s ticketing platform will allow for a club’s primary tickets to be sold, fulfilled and delivered on any site or mobile application of a team’s choosing — opening up the possibility for MLS fans to buy tickets on dozens of e-commerce apps and ticketing sites.
The new SeatGeek ticketing platform will also make the software that powers ticket verification widely available to third parties, meaning that MLS fans will be enabled to securely sell or transfer tickets on any resale platform of their choice and take full advantage of features that help prevent fraud, which have historically been held back for the benefit of one ticketing partner.
“Our number one objective when we set out to find a ticketing partner was to align with a group that would build an incredible fan experience,” said Kathy Carter, President of Soccer United Marketing, MLS’ commercial arm. “We selected SeatGeek because we believe that together we are going to build the best ticketing experience in the sports industry.”
Currently, a full two-thirds of SeatGeek’s transactions occur on mobile devices. MLS will use SeatGeek’s ease of use to allow fans to have tickets delivered to their phone and then use that mobile ticket to scan into the venue.
In the coming year, SeatGeek will work with MLS, its technology partner TopTix and member clubs to roll out this new ticketing system. SeatGeek and MLS will also begin to roll out aspects of the SeatGeek ticketing platform across league sites and properties immediately.
Photo of 2013 MLS All-Star Game by Brett Flanders via flickr.com.