Ticketing Symposium: Secondary Market Helps Some Teams More Than Others

The secondary ticket market is impacting some teams’ ability to sell single-game tickets, but other clubs credit inexpensive tickets found on sites like StubHub as a way to build back an eroded fan base, according to panelists at the SBJ/SBD Ticketing Symposium in Miami.

ANGEL EYES: Angels VP/Marketing & Ticket Sales Robert Alvarado said the team's offseason signings of 1B Albert Pujols and P C.J. Wilson “had a significant impact” on season-ticket sales, and group-ticket sales and suite renewals were “fantastic.” However, the team has seen a 30% drop in single-game ticket sales, while ticket sales on secondary markets are up 50%. Alvarado noted there is a “cannibalization” going on in regard to secondary tickets. He said, “It’s real, we’re dealing with it, and it’s something that we’re going to have to address.”

GIFT BASKETS: Two NBA teams also shared some various opinions about the secondary market. T’Wolves Senior VP/Ticket Sales & Premium Seating Ryan Tanke noted the team saw an increase in interest this year, but added, “What was happening on the secondary market was amazing. We were having 3,000 tickets a game on average being posted.” He said the team is trying to figure out how many people posting tickets are ticket brokers and how many are regular fans that just cannot attend all the team’s home games. However, he said, “Our season-ticket pricing is almost exclusively driven by what’s happening on the secondary market.” Meanwhile, the Pacers are less concerned at the moment about the low cost tickets are going for on the secondary market, as they are taking a long-term approach. Pacers Sports & Entertainment Senior VP and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Todd Taylor said, “Right now we are trying to rebuild our fan base. If somebody bought a $0.77 ticket off StubHub and comes to our game, hopefully he becomes a fan.”

QUICK HITS:

• Former Falcons VP/Sales & Service Dave Cohen, on the availability of tickets to games: “There’s no such thing as a sold-out game anymore. When we were kids in Portland, Oregon, the sellout streak (for the Trail Blazers) was as long as could be, and there was no chance of me ever going to a game. Now, that’s just not the case. The game may be sold out, but everyone has the opportunity to go.”

• StubHub CMO Ray Elias, on his company’s role in setting ticket prices: “I think we’ve really pushed the industry in general. We’re going to continue to do that.”