Ticketmaster, VenueNext Team Up On Mobile Ordering Tech

When stadiums and concert venues open up once again, fans may find themselves in a whole new technological ballgame. This includes touchless payments and mobile ordering technology.

Industry giant Ticketmaster and VenueNext, a mobile commerce tech provider, are dialing up a partnership aimed at addressing fans’ health concerns and — they hope — luring them back in when large venues get the OK from health authorities, reported Sportico.

With a partnership Ticketmaster announced Tuesday (Sept. 15), the two firms are set to roll out a pandemic curveball with tech that will let fans order and pay for concessions with their cellphone.

Ticketmaster will offer the setup to VenueNext customers, which include numerous NFL, NBA and other sports teams. That effort could mean integrating VenueNext tech with a Ticketmaster app or client-specific apps, reported Sportico.

VenueNext’s website says the company was started in 2014, and is now “transforming the way fans shop, order and pay.” For its part, Ticketmaster processes more than 500 million tickets each year around the globe.

“Ever since COVID-19, everybody is a mobile-first company all of the sudden,” VenueNext CEO Anthony Perez told Sportico. “Even prior to COVID, we recognized there was a clear opportunity to really go deeper in how we work together [with Ticketmaster] to provide the best and most personalized experience to attendees.”

Part of what the tech will provide is the ability to make special offers to particular fans, such as season ticket holders. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In general, turning to touchless payments can be good for the bottom line, and may be crucial for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the pandemic era. That’s because many consumers, along with workers, have become wary of using cash and physical credit cards to make purchases.

This has led to the increased use of contactless cards and mobile wallets. These allow customers to wave cards, smartphones or wearable devices over while paying — and avoid physical contact with people and objects.