【】

SeatGeek is trying to slay the beast that is Ticketmaster.

The ticketing and tech company is launching SeatGeek Open, a platform that will let customers buy tickets in almost any app.

Through SeatGeek Open, an Uber customer who was in a ride toward a stadium, for example, could see and purchase tickets available for a game that day.

“Ticketing has long been a closed industry, and one that hasn’t been positively impacted by the power of technology in the same way many other industries have,” SeatGeek co-founder Jack Groetzinger said in a statement. “We believe the open ecosystem we’ve built will transform the way people access tickets, allowing fans to go to more live events and teams and artists to reach more fans.”

SeatGeek Open is a connective tool — it works with apps and brands to bring tickets to their platforms, and the consumer most likely won't even know SeatGeek was involved.

SeatGeek's role is on the technology side of things. It will verify ticket barcodes for third parties like Uber and Facebook — something Ticketmaster, which holds a near monopoly over online ticket purchases, has confined within the walls of its site.

The platform is focused on apps and mobile, but it would work online on a site like Facebook as well.

"It bucks the trend that Ticketmaster has created over past 20 to 30 years of forcing inventory through their own channels exclusively," SeatGeek co-founder Russ D'Souza said. "Our approach is different. How can we empower teams to sell tickets on many, many different channels?"

SeatGeek, which launched in 2009, is mainly focused on ticketing for sporting events. Its first major partnership for SeatGeek Open is with Major League Soccer.

最新评论