Major League Soccer has entered into a multi-year partnership with mobile-focused ticketing platform SeatGeek.
The deal names SeatGeek as the first official ticketing partner of the North American league and will see a new integrated ticketing platform introduced and made available to all participant teams.
Under the agreement, SeatGeek will receive extensive advertising exposure during showpiece events such as the All-Star Game, which takes place later today (Thursday), and the end-of-season MLS Cup.
The new system will be introduced over the next year. Ticketing solutions firm TopTix will lend its support to MLS and SeatGeek to roll out the system. SeatGeek’s ticketing platform will allow for a club’s primary tickets to be sold, fulfilled and delivered on any site or mobile application of a team’s choosing – opening up the possibility for MLS fans to buy tickets on dozens of e-commerce apps and ticketing sites.
MLS said the system would allow supporters to purchase tickets on their mobile device, have the ticket sent to their phone and then scan the mobile ticket when entering the stadium.
“Our number one objective when we set out to find a ticketing partner was to align with a group that would build an incredible fan experience,” Kathy Carter, president of Soccer United Marketing, MLS’ commercial arm, said. “We selected SeatGeek because we believe that together we are going to build the best ticketing experience in the sports industry.”
The partnership marks SeatGeek’s first in professional sport.