The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular and lucrative professional sports league in the United States. With 32 teams across the country, the NFL hosts 256 regular season games, playoffs, and the iconic Super Bowl each year. Tens of millions of fans attend NFL games annually, with many more watching on television.
Ticketing and distribution for these live events is a massive undertaking, requiring sophisticated ticketing platforms and partnerships to reach NFL fans globally. This raises the question – does the NFL use Ticketmaster as its primary ticketing provider?
The NFL’s Ticketing Process
The NFL uses a hybrid model for ticketing and distribution. At the league level, the NFL partners with Ticketmaster as the official ticket exchange and secondary ticket marketplace. Fans can buy tickets on Ticketmaster for high-demand NFL events like the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NFL Draft, and international games held outside the US.
However, for regular season and playoff games, ticketing is handled at the team level. Each NFL franchise is responsible for selling tickets and filling its home stadium over the 17-week regular season. Rather than outsourcing to Ticketmaster, most teams opt to manage ticketing in-house, selling the majority of tickets directly to fans.
There are some exceptions. A handful of teams, including the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, and Las Vegas Raiders, use Ticketmaster as their primary ticketing provider. This gives fans a familiar and convenient way to buy tickets through Ticketmaster’s website and app. But most clubs sell tickets through their own channels – their official team website, box office, season ticket holders, etc.
Benefits of In-House Ticketing for NFL Teams
There are several reasons why most NFL teams manage ticketing operations themselves rather than using a third-party like Ticketmaster:
Greater Control and Customization
With in-house ticketing, NFL teams have greater control over the entire process. They can customize options, rewards programs, upgraded experiences, and dynamic pricing to match their unique goals. Teams can also easily access and analyze their own sales data to make smarter ticketing decisions.
Stronger Relationships with Season Ticket Holders
NFL teams depend heavily on revenue from season tickets, which are sold as long-term agreements spanning multiple years. Maintaining close relationships with these loyal season ticket holders is crucial. By handling ticketing in-house, teams can offer personalized services and perks to satisfy and retain their best customers.
Lower Service Fees
Third-party ticketing services like Ticketmaster charge service fees on each ticket sold. When teams sell directly through their own channels, they avoid paying these fees. That means more revenue stays with the team rather than going to the middleman.
Greater Focus on Mobile Ticketing
Mobile ticketing – using phones to display digital tickets – is a major NFL focus to reduce fraud and improve fan experience. With in-house ticketing operations, teams can build custom mobile apps and integrate digital ticketing at their own pace rather than relying on a vendor’s roadmap.
Flexibility to Experiment
NFL teams can leverage their own ticketing systems to test out new strategies like premium variable pricing, bundled experiences, and personalized promotions. Bringing ticketing fully in-house enables this kind of innovation and flexibility.
When Do NFL Teams Use Ticketmaster?
While most NFL teams sell regular season tickets themselves, there are some cases where Ticketmaster plays an important role:
Secondary Ticket Marketplace
The NFL partnered with Ticketmaster in 2015 as the Official Secondary Ticket Marketplace. This provides a safe, convenient way for fans to resell and buy tickets. Season ticket holders often resell through Ticketmaster when they can’t attend a particular game.
High-Demand Games
For major primetime and playoff matchups that sell out quickly, some teams supplement their own sales by listing tickets on Ticketmaster. This gives fans an additional outlet to find in-demand tickets.
Super Bowl and Major Events
At the league level, the NFL uses Ticketmaster for its premium events like the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NFL Draft, and international games in markets like London and Mexico City. Distributing tickets globally for these marquee events benefits from Ticketmaster’s scale and reach.
Suite Sales
Some teams outsource sales of premium suite and club seating inventory to Ticketmaster Suite Sales. These high-end, all-inclusive packages allow companies to entertain clients in luxury at NFL games.
Team Partnerships
A handful of NFL teams directly partner with Ticketmaster as their primary ticketing provider for all events. These include the Patriots, Cowboys, Raiders, and other clubs. But they remain the minority – most teams still sell the bulk of their tickets in-house.
The Benefits of Ticketmaster for the NFL
Although most NFL teams handle their own ticketing, partnering with Ticketmaster provides some important league-wide benefits:
Global Distribution and Marketing
With operations in 29 countries, Ticketmaster offers the NFL massive distribution capabilities to promote and sell tickets worldwide for its biggest events.
Advanced Digital Ticketing
Ticketmaster is investing heavily in mobile ticketing and digital ticketing technology. These innovations provide convenience for fans and help the NFL reduce fraud.
Strong Secondary Marketplace
NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster offers a NFL-approved resale marketplace with price controls that protect fans from inflated costs. This also allows season ticket holders to recapture some of their investment by reselling unused tickets.
Data and Analytics
Ticketmaster shares valuable sales data and analytics with the NFL that provide powerful fan insights – helping drive strategy, marketing, and other business decisions.
Sponsorship and Business Development
Joint business initiatives between the NFL and Ticketmaster open up new opportunities around sponsorships, customer acquisition, and product development.
The Bottom Line
While the NFL has a league-wide partnership with Ticketmaster, individual teams handle ticketing themselves for the majority of regular season games. This allows NFL clubs to control the sales process, build direct fan relationships, and maximize per-ticket revenue. At the league level, the NFL leverages Ticketmaster for its global reach, secondary ticket exchange, and technology capabilities around premium events like the Super Bowl. But for week-in, week-out NFL action, most tickets are sold directly by the teams to their loyal fan bases.
NFL Teams that Use Ticketmaster
Team | Stadium | City |
---|---|---|
Dallas Cowboys | AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX |
New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA |
Las Vegas Raiders | Allegiant Stadium | Paradise, NV |
Los Angeles Chargers | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA |
Los Angeles Rams | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA |
While most NFL teams handle their own ticketing, a few major clubs directly partner with Ticketmaster:
– Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys have used Ticketmaster since moving to AT&T Stadium in 2009. They benefit from Ticketmaster’s technology and digital ticketing innovations.
– New England Patriots – The Patriots switched to Ticketmaster in 2008 when Gillette Stadium opened. The global reach helps the Pats sell tickets nationwide.
– Las Vegas Raiders – The Raiders partnered with Ticketmaster after relocating to Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium in 2020. The Raiders can sell to fans worldwide.
– Los Angeles Chargers – Sharing SoFi Stadium with the Rams, the Chargers outsource ticketing to Ticketmaster to efficiently serve both LA fan bases.
– Los Angeles Rams – Similarly, the Rams outsource to Ticketmaster to coordinate ticketing with the Chargers in their shared stadium.
These marquee NFL clubs utilize Ticketmaster to sell to huge nationwide fan bases, benefiting from the scale, technology, and distribution Ticketmaster offers. But even here, some inventory is still sold directly to maximize control and economics for the teams themselves.
Ticketmaster’s NFL Secondary Ticket Exchange
While primary ticketing is controlled by individual teams, the NFL partnered with Ticketmaster in 2015 as the Official Secondary Ticket Marketplace across the entire league.
The NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster allows fans to resell and buy NFL tickets in an official, protected marketplace. Season ticket holders can recapture value by reselling unused tickets, while fans can access secondhand tickets conveniently.
Key benefits of the NFL Ticket Exchange on Ticketmaster include:
NFL Approval
Unlike other secondary sites, Ticketmaster’s exchange is officially approved and backed by the NFL. All tickets are verified and backed by a FanProtect guarantee.
Fair Market Pricing
NFL Ticket Exchange uses data and analytics to suggest fair resale prices based on supply and demand. This prevents sellers from drastically inflating prices. Fans pay reasonable market value.
Direct Integration with Teams
Many NFL teams integrate directly with Ticketmaster to make reselling seamless for season ticket members. Fans can manage resale tickets in their team account.
Wide Selection of Tickets
With the NFL’s backing, Ticket Exchange offers a wide inventory of verified resale tickets for sold-out NFL games across the league.
Convenience
Fans already know and trust Ticketmaster for ticketing. The NFL Ticket Exchange gives a convenient resale option alongside primary ticketing. Everything is in one place.
Ticketmaster provides the NFL with an official, controlled secondary ticketing marketplace. This generates incremental revenue for teams and protects fans on pricing.
How NFL Teams Set Ticket Prices
NFL teams take many factors into account when pricing tickets and shaping their ticketing strategies:
Opposing Team
Games against rivals or popular teams like the Cowboys, Packers, and Steelers command higher demand and prices. Less in-demand opponents lead to lower prices.
Day and Time
Weekend and primetime games are more desirable and expensive. Sunday afternoon regional broadcasts are generally the lowest demand.
Record and Standings
Games later in the season between playoff contenders sell for more. Early season and poor team records reduce prices.
Special Events
Concerts, giveaways, celebrations and milestones help boost demand and pricing for certain games.
Secondary Market
Teams analyze resale prices on secondary sites to find optimal pricing levels and identify high or low demand.
Variable and Dynamic Pricing
Teams charge premium prices for club seats and suites. Some also implement variable or dynamic pricing within sections based on demand.
Loyalty Programs
Season ticket holders and club members often receive discounts or priority access for the best seats. Multi-year plans might guarantee cheaper prices.
Data and Analytics
Detailed sales data, forecasts, and predictive modeling guide teams in setting optimal pricing across seats, games, and seasons.
By considering many internal and external factors, NFL clubs optimize ticketing revenue while also providing fair options for different fan budgets.
Conclusion
In summary, most NFL teams manage their own primary ticketing operations to maximize revenue, access, and control. A handful of teams partner directly with Ticketmaster for their primary ticketing platform.
At the league level, the NFL utilizes Ticketmaster for its global reach, distribution, technology capabilities, secondary ticket exchange, and premium event ticketing. But for regular season NFL games, tickets are largely sold directly by the teams themselves.
NFL ticketing is multi-faceted, benefiting from direct team sales driving relationships and revenue, complemented by Ticketmaster’s capabilities around high-demand events, resale ticketing, and broader distribution. This hybrid model gives the NFL and its clubs the best of both worlds when connecting the passion of NFL fans with the live event experience.