NBA Renews Ticketmaster Deal for Two Years
The National Basketball Association is putting the ball back into Ticketmaster's court, renewing their agreement for a two-year extension.
The National Basketball Association is putting the ball back into Ticketmaster’s court, renewing its ticketing agreement for two additional years.
It’s a shorter renewal than in 2012, when the two sides signed a five-year accord, and unlike the recent NFL renewal — which covered all teams and the league’s resale market — the basketball deal just covers NBATickets.com, the only official resale marketplace of the NBA. Unlike the NFL, the NBA does not control team rights, although 24 of the league’s 30 teams do have individual ticketing deals directly with Ticketmaster that often include a team-specific resale marketplace.
The lack of a league-wide deal makes it difficult to create a larger marketplace, like the one operated by the National Football League, which allows for ticket resale on both Ticketmaster’s platform, as well as sites like StubHub. While all 30 teams participate in NBATickets.com, five teams — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers — utilize AEG’s AXS platform. The Philadelphia 76ers sell all of their tickets on StubHub, mixing primary and secondary tickets into an opaque marketplace powered by Paciolan.
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with Ticketmaster, helping us continue to deliver the most fan-friendly ticketing experience possible and provide our fans with a trusted, convenient place to buy and sell tickets,” said NBA president for team marketing and business operations Amy Brooks in a statement provided to Billboard.
Financial terms of the agreement were not released, although Ticketmaster officials said the agreement includes new reporting for the NBA based on buying habits and fan sentiments. The deal also cover the WNBA and the NBA G-League.
“More than anything else, basketball fans care about what happens on the court, and this extended partnership provides them a ticketing experience that is easy and convenient, allowing them to focus on the game itself,” said Ticketmaster’s head of sports for North America Greg Economou in a statement
“We’re proud to continue providing the best software platform to power the NBA’s ticketing marketplace, while also providing clubs with insights and technology that allows them to better serve their fans – which is the core of our shared mission.”