For Ticketmaster, 2022 brought a return to normality in the sports major events sector following the disruption to schedules in 2020 and 2021.
“We had to remain patient to deliver successfully in 2022, evolving the operational planning and marketing plans accordingly to pick the optimum times for each tournament’s market,” Richard Evans, vice-president – tournaments, Ticketmaster Sport, tells SportBusiness.
People flooded back to events like the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which attracted a record attendance for a UK edition of the multi-sport event, with more than 1.5 million ticketed spectators exclusively processed by Ticketmaster.
Contending with changes
Ticketmaster forges a close working relationship with clients, including tournament operators, in order to understand their requirements, as well as broader trends within the sector.
“We continually work with our clients to facilitate the needs of their customers,” Evans adds. “Recently we introduced a number of innovations – flexible payment options, improved secure digital ticketing and the ability for customers to experience the view from and purchase their seats with immersive 3D technology. It’s our role to evaluate the market and demand and work with our clients to adapt the sales strategy to ensure maximum impact.”
“We’re seeing customers embrace digital ticketing technology for convenience even more,” Evans says. “Being able to receive tickets straight to their mobile gives them confidence, and the ability to share them with their friends and family makes things so much easier.”
He continues: “Clients have been looking to Ticketmaster for extra support on all fronts. They are particularly leaning on the marketing power and unrivalled reach that Ticketmaster can provide through our channels.”
Accessibility which is increasing in significance for tournament operators, is also a key focus of Ticketmaster’s offering, as Evans explains.
“We believe that all fans deserve equal access to sport,” he says. “So, we have placed a high emphasis on the accessibility of our tournament websites and the ability for our hosts to offer a variety of accessible seating needs.”
Amongst all the challenges facing event organisers who are looking to fill every seat, “no-shows” remain a headache.
“No-shows can be a challenge for tournament ticketing, but this is not unique to 2022,” Evans adds. “Our resale offering comes to play here, to ensure that if a fan cannot attend, they can pass their ticket on to someone who can quickly and securely.”
Looking ahead, Evans is confident that Ticketmaster is well-placed to deal with the shifting habits of fans and clients alike, given its track record over recent years.
“In 2022, it was a huge year for tournaments at Ticketmaster, achieving the highs that were last seen in 2019,” says Evans.
“As a sports team, we have retained a world-class team of professionals who have delivered tournaments in the Middle East, Costa Rica, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK and I am immensely proud that our teams have been able to deliver seamlessly.”
A bright future
Following last year’s successes with Birmingham 2022 and the Rugby League World Cup 2021, Ticketmaster is continuing to strike deals with tournament organisers across a range of sports as it plans for the future.
Ticketmaster will be the exclusive supplier of ticketing services to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will take place this year in August in Glasgow, Scotland.