SeatGeek hoping to change online ticket marketplace again with new platform

SeatGeek Open will aggregate tickets not only from major websites, but also from third-party apps like Facebook Messenger.

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SeatGeek, a ticketing aggregation site that searches dozens of ticketing sites and presents the results in one place, is hoping to change the ticketing industry again. They company recently announced a new primary ticketing platform called SeatGeek Open, which allows for greater accessibility and reduces the possibility of fraud. “If you poll the average American, they don’t like the current ticketing process,” SeatGeek co-founder Russ D’Souza said in a statement.

Some current ticketing sites are based on outdated models, and SeatGeek took advantage of this, realizing that it was time to adapt.

SeatGeek Open allows for tickets to be sold directly within third-party apps and websites. What this means is that fans will no longer have to use separate searching sites for their tickets. Instead, they will find tickets where they are spending most of their online time such as places like Facebook Messenger or Amazon.

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SeatGeek Open is also designed to prevent fraud. “We want to allow barcode verification to any site that is part of the verification network,” D’Souza said

This resale verification solution allows for tickets to be widely available but still ensure that a ticket is valid before it’s even posted online. The old ticketing system involved a 15-digit number on tickets. When people sell tickets on a site they aren’t necessarily selling verified tickets because the user you’re selling to gets the same 15-digit number on his or her ticket. Therefore, as a seller, you could still choose to enter the event even after pocketing the money. This is exactly what the open and transparent marketplace is aiming to prevent.

Another thing that D’Souza and the SeatGeek team realized is that an increasing amount of people are spending their time on mobile apps.

Major League Soccer, who has a predominantly young fan base, according to D’Souza, recently partnered with SeatGeek as its official ticketing partner. SeatGeek has also recently partnered with Sporting Kansas City, which is the first team for which it will serve as the primary ticket distributor.

In regards to the new MLS partnership, D’Souza said, “It’s a strong partnership and we’re ready to start proving ourselves to their clubs and the rest of the industry.”

Don’t be surprised to see many more partnerships announced in the coming months for SeatGeek, as they’re ready to prove the value of open ticketing.

“SeatGeek Open is a bold new attempt at how teams should distribute their tickets,” said D’Souza.