Marking an intersection in the once-significant barriers between primary and secondary ticketing, AXS has blended both types of inventory into a single offering.
The company has retooled its ticket purchase process to not only show primary and secondary tickets in a single search, but allow a user to merge them into a single transaction. The effort, roughly a year in development, joins other similar products such as Ticketmaster’s TM+ that also shows primary and secondary tickets in a single search. But TM+, which debuted in 2013, still requires separate transactions for primary and resale inventory.
AXS’s merged ticketing will be combined with its recently introduced 360-degree, three-dimensional seat visualization technology called FanSight that gives users seat-level views. The AXS system, similar to its rivals, denotes which seats are primary and which are being resold. But the single purchase flow is aimed at allowing more flexibility for users to put together their own groups and seating choices.
“We see this as a big step forward, and something that helps the fan experience by making it easier to buy tickets and in turn helping our clients,” said Brian Peunic, AXS senior vice president of sports. “For us, it’s simply about removing obstacles.”
The blended ticket purchasing is being used by several AXS NBA clients, including the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Ultimately, the company intends to spread the functionality across its entire portfolio.
“Both our individual and secondary sales have grown because we never have to turn a fan away,” said Gretchen Sheirr, Rockets chief revenue officer.
