SSAC From Click to Tip-Off: Modernizing Sports Ticketing
Sep 5, 2025
In this engaging discussion, industry experts Mike Shane, Emily Johnson, Jeff Heaton, and Kari Gritton dive into the transformation of sports ticketing. Shane highlights the importance of real-time predictive AI for dynamic pricing. Johnson shares insights on leveraging data in MLB while Heaton discusses the challenges of launching a new hockey franchise. Gritton emphasizes the demand for unique fan experiences. The panel explores the future of ticket operations, emphasizing flexibility and transparency to enhance engagement and revenue.
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Buying Behavior Has Become Highly Spontaneous
- Fans are buying much closer to event time, with near 50% purchasing within three days for NBA games.
- This shift toward spontaneity complicates pricing and requires more real-time responsiveness from teams.
Experience Trumps Seat Quality
- Consumers increasingly value unique, limited experiences over just the best seat.
- Teams must create premium, experiential products (pace car, victory lane) to capture that demand.
Hockey Attracted A New Fan Cohort
- When launching Utah Hockey, only 8% of depositors overlapped with Jazz season-ticket holders.
- Seventy percent of hockey depositors hadn't been to the arena in the last year, revealing a distinct new audience.