Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment have struck a large-scale, multiyear deal with Atlanta-based fan experience technology outfit Experience, to integrate seat and experiential upgrades into Ticketmaster and Live Nation events. In the deal, purchasers of Ticketmaster and Live Nation events will have direct access to Experience-powered upgrades online and through Ticketmaster's mobile application. Experience had been aligned with nearly three dozen pro and college teams and MLB Advanced Media. But the latest deal presents exponentially more scale for the start-up outfit, as well as an entry into concerts and performing arts in addition to sports. Experience Chair Tripp Rackley said, "Siloed solutions are great to prove a point, but fully integrated solutions like this are really what you need to generate scale." He added, "We want to get to a point where every fan will eventually wonder how they ever went to an event without this kind of capability. In our space, this is about the biggest kind of partnership you can have." Financial terms were not disclosed, but the pact is based around sharing of revenue generated through upgrade purchases. Experience began solely as a seat-upgrade outfit, but more recently has expanded to also incorporate other amenities such as field access and meet-and-greets. The company will now be a preferred partner of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Ticketmaster President of North America Jared Smith said, “More than just a simple upgrade offering, we see a real opportunity to leverage the mobile device to improve the overall live event experience." Teams and concert promoters will have the ability to opt in or out of using Experience upgrades. Integration will begin with existing Experience clients that also use Ticketmaster.
