There are a few potential reasons why Ticketmaster has not yet integrated with Apple Wallet for mobile tickets:
Technical Limitations
Integrating with Apple Wallet requires developing the APIs and technical infrastructure to sync ticket barcodes with Apple’s system. This is likely a non-trivial engineering effort for Ticketmaster, especially with the scale of their platform. The ticketing technology needs to be able to generate unique barcodes tied to each user’s Apple ID and device. There are also likely considerations around privacy, security, analytics tracking and more that need to be worked through.
Business Incentives
Ticketmaster may not be sufficiently incentivized or see enough benefit to allocating resources to Apple Wallet integration at this time. Developing and supporting the integration requires upfront and ongoing engineering costs. Apple Wallet is still gaining adoption, so the potential increase in sales or revenue may not yet warrant the investment for Ticketmaster. There are also strategic concerns around allowing Apple to “own” more of the customer experience.
Focus on Their Own Apps
Ticketmaster has their own iOS and Android apps which they are heavily invested in and promote to users. Integrating with Apple Wallet risks directing users away from their own apps where they control more of the experience. Ticketmaster may be focused on enhancing native features in their own apps vs. Apple Wallet support for now.
Industry Trends
Mobile ticketing in Apple Wallet is still an emerging industry practice. While early adopters like airlines have added support, other major ticketing platforms like AXS and SeatGeek have also not yet implemented Apple Wallet. Ticketmaster may be taking a “wait and see” approach until wider adoption. They may not want to be pioneers and risk usability issues until best practices develop.
Benefits of Apple Wallet Integration for Ticketmaster
Despite the potential hurdles, there are some compelling benefits that could motivate Ticketmaster to invest in Apple Wallet support:
Enhanced User Experience
Allowing users to access tickets directly from the Apple Wallet provides a seamless experience. Event tickets are displayed prominently on the device lock screen and accessible without needing to open an app. Barcodes can also be scanned directly from the Wallet. This convenience could increase customer satisfaction and engagement.
Increased Use of Mobile Tickets
Integrating with Apple Wallet lowers barriers to adoption for mobile ticketing. Customers may be more inclined to use mobile tickets if they are easily accessible in the iOS Wallet. This brings benefits like reducing printing and shipping costs for Ticketmaster while making tickets harder to counterfeit.
Higher Order Frequency
The easier and more seamless it is to access tickets, the more likely users are to purchase again. Customers with tickets in Apple Wallet have Ticketmaster top of mind, increasing the chances of repeat purchases and upsells for other events.
Stronger Platform Stickiness
Once customers have tickets stored in Apple Wallet they are somewhat “locked in” to continue using Ticketmaster’s platform. This stickiness allows Ticketmaster to build deeper customer relationships over time.
Valuable Customer Data
Apple Wallet integrations gives Ticketmaster access to valuable customer usage data they can use for marketing and personalization. This includes things like ticket views, engagement, event feedback and more.
Challenges and Considerations for Apple Wallet Integration
While the benefits are substantial, Ticketmaster would need to weigh and address some key challenges:
Significant Upfront Development Costs
As noted earlier, building Apple Wallet support from scratch requires non-trivial engineering investments by Ticketmaster. They would need to budget for both initial development and ongoing maintenance.
Apple’s Review and Update Processes
Getting added to Apple Wallet requires passing Apple’s review. Any updates also need to go through review which may slow iteration speed. Ticketmaster would lose some control and flexibility.
Data and Revenue Sharing with Apple
Apple may require Ticketmaster to share customer data and a percentage of transactions. This could reduce potential revenue, but may be unavoidable if Apple Wallet becomes a must-have.
Less Control of Customer Experience
Relying on Apple Wallet means Ticketmaster loses control over the native iOS experience. They’d have to weigh the trade-offs vs. focusing on their own app capabilities.
Additional Support Overhead
Introducing a new way to access tickets will inevitably lead to an increase in customer support inquiries. Ticketmaster should be prepared to handle Wallet-specific support volume.
Potential for Apple to Expand in Ticketing
In the longer term, Apple Wallet could give Apple a foothold to make bigger moves into ticketing and events. However, Apple is already a powerful platform gatekeeper regardless.
Forecast for Ticketmaster Apple Wallet Integration
Based on the incentives and adoption trends, here are some predictions on the timeline for Ticketmaster rolling out Apple Wallet support:
12-18 Months
Within the next 12-18 months, we will likely see Ticketmaster begin piloting Apple Wallet integration with limited partners or events. This will allow them to test integration and gather learnings before a bigger rollout.
18-24 Months
Within 18-24 months, Ticketmaster will expand Apple Wallet support to additional venues, teams, and events. Adoption will steadily increase through 2023 as they refine the integration and promote it to users.
2-3 Years
In 2-3 years, Apple Wallet ticketing will reach critical mass and become a standard option included across most Ticketmaster events. By 2025, Apple Wallet will be a foundational ticketing method along with Ticketmaster’s apps.
Summary and Conclusion
In summary, here are the key points on Ticketmaster’s potential Apple Wallet integration:
– Technical and business challenges have likely slowed adoption to date
– Big benefits exist around user experience, ticket sales, and platform stickiness
– As an emerging standard, use cases and best practices are still developing
– Within 1-3 years, Apple Wallet support will become a baseline expectation
Ticketmaster will need to carefully weigh the costs vs. benefits as Apple Wallet ticketing matures. But over time, not integrating risks missing out on an important technology shift in mobile ticketing. Given Apple’s scale, Wallet support will eventually become a obligatory component of the competitive ticketing landscape.