Flash Seats was an online ticket marketplace owned and operated by the Cleveland Cavaliers to buy and sell tickets to events at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It provided Cavaliers fans with a safe and convenient way to buy and sell tickets online. However, Flash Seats shut down in 2019 when the Cavaliers switched to using Ticketmaster as their primary ticketing provider. So Flash Seats is no longer available or operational as it was shut down by the Cavaliers organization.
Background on Flash Seats
Flash Seats was launched in 2008 by the Cavaliers organization as the official secondary ticket marketplace for Quicken Loans Arena events. It emerged as an alternative to Craigslist and other third party resellers as a safe, legitimate way for fans to buy and sell Cavaliers tickets online.
Some key facts about Flash Seats:
- It was owned and operated by the Cavaliers organization.
- All tickets sold on Flash Seats were guaranteed valid by the Cavaliers.
- Tickets could not be counterfeited or duplicated.
- It provided a secure online marketplace for season ticket holders and individual game buyers.
- Tickets were transferred electronically via Flash Seats accounts.
- All tickets for Quicken Loans Arena events had to be bought or sold using Flash Seats.
Flash Seats aimed to give Cavaliers fans full control over the sale and transfer of their tickets while providing safety, convenience, and legitimacy to the secondary ticket market.
The Shutdown of Flash Seats
In March 2019, the Cavaliers announced they would be switching their ticketing platform from Flash Seats to Ticketmaster beginning in the 2019-2020 NBA season. This meant that Flash Seats would be shut down and no longer available as the primary ticketing provider for the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena events.
There were a few likely reasons behind the Cavaliers’ decision:
- Ticketmaster offered wider reach and exposure as one of the major ticketing platforms in the industry.
- The Cavaliers wanted to unify their ticketing systems with Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse after renaming Quicken Loans Arena.
- Ticketmaster provided analytics and sales data not available on Flash Seats.
- There were synergies with Ticketmaster being the ticketing provider for both the Cavaliers and Cleveland Monsters hockey team.
The shutdown process began at the end of the 2018-2019 NBA season. Fans were instructed to transfer any tickets they had on Flash Seats over to Ticketmaster.
As of the 2019-2020 season, Flash Seats was completely retired as the Cavaliers transitioned fully to Ticketmaster for all ticketing needs. The URL flashseats.com now redirects to the Cavaliers Ticketmaster webpage.
Alternatives for Buying and Selling Cavaliers Tickets
With Flash Seats no longer in operation, what are the options for Cavaliers fans looking to buy and sell tickets?
Here are the main alternatives:
Ticketmaster
As the new official ticketing partner of the Cavaliers, Ticketmaster would be the safest and preferred way to buy verified tickets directly from the team and resell any tickets back to other fans. There is integration with the Cavaliers website and Ticketmaster’s large user base provides exposure.
StubHub
StubHub is one of the largest secondary ticket marketplaces online. It provides a platform for season ticket holders and individual sellers to relist and resell their Cavaliers tickets. All tickets sold on StubHub are guaranteed by their FanProtect Guarantee program.
Vivid Seats
Similar to StubHub, Vivid Seats is another large secondary ticket marketplace where Cavaliers tickets can be resold between fans. They also offer a 100% Buyer Guarantee on all tickets sold.
SeatGeek
SeatGeek is another option that allows users to compare prices across multiple secondary ticket sites. It aggregates inventory from different brokers and marketplaces.
Gametime
Gametime is a mobile-focused app that enables last minute purchases of unsold Cavaliers tickets at reduced prices. It offers a unique “best available tickets” purchasing model.
Facebook Ticket Groups
Joining team-specific Facebook Groups for ticket sales can be a way to connect directly with other fans looking to buy and sell tickets. This method offers less guarantees but can provide access to season ticket holders looking to sell seats for specific games.
Craigslist
Posting and responding to Cleveland Cavaliers ticket ads on Craigslist is another peer-to-peer method, but this offers the least guarantees on validity and security. Use caution when purchasing tickets this way.
Conclusion
Flash Seats was shut down by the Cavaliers in 2019 and is no longer available as a ticketing option. Fans now have a range of alternatives through Ticketmaster, secondary marketplaces like StubHub and VividSeats, gametime apps like Gametime, and direct peer-to-peer platforms such as Facebook Groups and Craigslist. Although Flash Seats offered some unique benefits directly from the Cavaliers organization, there are still ways for fans to safely and conveniently buy and sell tickets within the new landscape.