Sports leagues have historically clamped down on online ticket sales, in part to prevent the rampant scalping you see in much of the entertainment industry. Major League Soccer, however, is trying the exact opposite: it’s throwing things wide open. The league has forged a partnership with SeatGeek that will create a ticketing platform that works through virtually any website or app. Other sites could sell tickets, for a start. You could buy tickets from Uber before you hail a ride to that Seattle Sounders game, for instance.
This applies to resales, too. SeatGeek’s tech makes it possible to securely sell or transfer your ticket from other sites. Your fan club could set up a safe ticket exchange if it wanted. The biggest drawback may be the wait, as MLS is rolling out the new platform over the course of the coming year, starting with the league’s own sites.
MLS isn’t just being generous, of course — it has the motivation to loosen its grip on ticketing. As the organization acknowledges to Bloomberg, it’s small potatoes next to other US sporting leagues. It has both the “freedom” to experiment and a strong incentive to do whatever it takes to draw people in, including making it easier to snag tickets. Not that there’s much reason to complain. If the team-up works as promised, it’ll give you more chances to buy tickets on your own terms… or at least, it’ll help you offload tickets when you can’t make it.
Via: Bloomberg
Source: MLS Press Box