SeatGeek today formally announced its partnership with the NFL, with the N.Y.-based company to be integrated directly into the league’s new open ticketing platform and be able to offer verified NFL tickets on the secondary market for all teams. The deal augments separate primary ticketing agreements SeatGeek has struck with the Saints and Cowboys. But the company will not gain additional league marketing rights, including the use of club marks, that StubHub will hold as a secondary ticketing partner of the NFL. “We believe this makes a huge statement in the marketplace to have the largest league in the world taking an open approach to ticketing like this,” SeatGeek co-Founder Russ D’Souza said. “You look at what they’ve done here along with MLS to embrace open ticketing, we see this being very influential upon other properties in the space.” Financial terms of the NFL-SeatGeek partnership were not disclosed, but sources said the agreement spans the same five-season period between ’18-22 also covered by the NFL’s deals with Ticketmaster and StubHub. The company expects to be live with its NFL integration in time for the start of the ’18 regular season in September. SeatGeek is also believed to be separately compensating the Saints and Cowboys for financial incentives they are forfeiting by not staying with Ticketmaster for primary ticketing.
