ORLANDO, FL (November 21, 2017) – Ticketmaster, the global market leader in ticketing, today announced an extended multiyear partnership with Orlando City Soccer Club, home of Orlando City in Major League Soccer and Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer league, to serve as the official ticketing and technology partner for all live events at Orlando City Stadium.
Following the venue’s successful opening earlier this year utilizing Ticketmaster Presence and digital ticketing, the stadium will soon roll out Ticketmaster’s easy-to-use “tap and go” venue entry system through the renewed agreement that will further enhance the club’s fan experience.
Since implementing Ticketmaster Presence in March 2017, Orlando City SC has moved to a fully digital ticketing system with great success. In a matter of months, the club saw a six-fold increase in mobile entry, with 65% of fans now using mobile, and the remaining 35% utilizing NFC-enabled paper smart tickets or season ticket member cards. Digital tickets have provided Orlando City SC with unparalleled understanding of event attendees after seeing a 398% increase in new fan identification.
“Orlando City SC’s partnership with Ticketmaster has revolutionized the way we do business, helping us to reach our goal of creating the best fan experiences on the ground,” said Chris Gallagher, Orlando City SC’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Because of Ticketmaster’s technology, we can leverage the insights gleaned from our ‘smart stadium’ to better understand who’s entering the venue, what’s happening during an event and how we can use this information to improve fan engagement.”
To date, Orlando City Stadium has hosted over half a million fans in its 25,500-seat venue from March to October, including regular league play for the Club’s three teams including Orlando City in MLS, Orlando Pride in the NWSL and Orlando City B in the United Soccer League (USL), as well as the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Panama FIFA World Cup Qualifying Match and the NWSL Championship Cup.
“Orlando City SC is one of the most tech-forward organizations in MLS, paving the way for other venues and sports teams in North America to appreciate the immense benefits of adopting new ticketing and event management technology,” said Greg Economou, Chief Commercial Officer for Ticketmaster North America. “We look forward to continued innovation with our partners at Orlando City to create even greater experiences for fans.”
Through its partnership with the global ticketing leader, Orlando City SC has strengthened its relationships with season ticket members and single-game fans by improving its CRM lead strategy, campaign tracking and analysis to boost the impact of their digital campaigns. Ticketmaster, a Founding Partner of the stadium, provides safe ticket distribution and advanced marketing support as the official ticketing technology platform for more than half of all MLS teams.
Through its extended Ticketmaster partnership, Orlando City Stadium will also work closely with Live Nation to expand its content offering into the concert sector, which includes bringing new live entertainment events to the stadium.
