The Seahawks this week moved to "pull thousands of season tickets held by resale brokers and redistribute them amongst what they say will mostly be their fans," according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. However, sources indicate that the club is also "negotiating with several longtime brokers to allow them additional season tickets they can purchase through so-called 'sponsorship’ arrangements." Four of the brokers "have been confirmed" as Venue Kings President Anthony Beyrouti, Alliance Tickets Owner Roger Jones, Epic Seats co-Founder & VP/Operations James Kimmel and Seattle-area broker Mike Cummings. More "could be added to the list." Some brokers said that they were "told their accounts would be limited to four tickets each." But the team said that numbers "vary and that more than 3,000 season tickets could be redistributed once the moves are finalized." Baker notes restricting ticket access for brokers and then selling them as “sponsorships” has "become increasingly popular for NFL teams." Brokers say that "such 'sponsorships' have become their industry’s codeword for NFL teams 'scalping' their own tickets -- ones that would otherwise fetch just face-value money" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/12).
SUPER SNUBBED: The TIMES' Baker reports Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is "suing a New York ticket broker for what the suit calls 'unfair' and 'deceptive’ practices leading up to" Super Bowl XLIX. The lawsuit against SBTickets.com says that the company "failed to deliver on 60 tickets it had sold to Washington residents for a combined $149,000." SBTickets is accused in the suit of "failing to tell customers it was engaging in 'short selling,' meaning it didn’t actually possess the tickets it sold as guaranteed on its website." Ferguson yesterday said that his office "had received 120 formal complaints against 35 companies related to Super Bowl ticket short selling." SBTickets "topped the list with 24 complaints" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/12).
