U.S. Soccer and Ticketmaster to streamline the match day experience

U.S. Soccer and Ticketmaster

U.S. Soccer have recently announced a strategic partnership with Ticketmaster to become the Federation’s official ticketing partner for the next several years.

The partnership is set to use Ticketmaster’s industry-leading technology to support all ticketing initiatives and solutions with a goal to enhance the match day experience for fans at the stadium.

Ticketmaster is one of the world’s largest ticket sales and distribution companies. They have serviced millions of events across many different countries they operate in, providing a quick and reliable online service for fans that is focused mainly on convenience.

There is an unprecedented line-up of soccer events coming to the United States over the next few years and the Federation is being proactive in its approach to ensure a reliable ticketing service.

The features being brought in will be a fresh change for fans who have previously struggled acquiring tickets to matches because of the multitude of unreliable services that were selling them outside of the U.S. Soccer website.

Ticketmaster plan to incorporate features such as mobile app integrations, use of a 3D Interactive Seat Map to enhance seat selection, and the ability to save tickets to mobile devices which eases access at the gates.

U.S. Soccer and Ticketmaster will also recognise fans through custom content that will highlight the undying commitment of fans and their journeys to U.S. Soccer-controlled events, including U.S. Women’s and Men’s National Team matches, and create unforgettable moments through engaging sweepstakes.

U.S. Soccer Chief Commercial Officer David Wright expressed his excitement for what the partnership was going to bring to U.S. Soccer

“Fans are the heartbeat of our business. Supporting our commitment to super-serve our passionate fans, we are excited to partner with Ticketmaster in our efforts to enhance the customer experience,” he said in a U.S. Soccer press release

“Ticketmaster has been at the forefront of technology and innovation in this space for years and is the perfect match as we continue to elevate and evolve as a property.”

Ticketmaster Executive Vice President & Co-Head of Sports Clay Luter explained how the partnership was going to improve fan engagement.

“The expansion of our partnership with U.S. Soccer is a testament to our commitment to celebrating passionate soccer fans,” he added via press release.

“As the game’s popularity continues to rise, we’re eager to take engagement and connectivity to the next level while actively discovering and connecting with new fans. Through our platform, we’ll deliver must-have ticketing solutions, unique content and innovations that further fuel the interest in soccer across the country.”

The focus on fan engagement through augmented reality and app activations is a fantastic touch from the U.S. Soccer Federation, doing something that Australia has yet to attempt.

The country would definitely benefit by following the U.S. in their fan-first mentality, with an overall goal of making the matchday experience memorable and addictive, especially off the back of the Matildas World Cup success story.

This partnership is attempting to put the building blocks in to ensure crowd numbers are healthy as this new generation of soccer fans start to emerge. It is very strategic and has a forward outlook that must be applauded.

Serie A to stay on DAZN and Sky screens to 2029

DAZN and Sky will retain the rights to broadcast live Serie A matches in Italy for the next five seasons after Italian clubs accepted bids worth at least 4.5 billion euros ($4.8 billion).

After four months of discussions, the Serie A teams convened to examine final bids from streaming services DAZN and Sky, which totalled around 900 million euros each year until the conclusion of the 2028/2029 season, barely below the existing agreement’s yearly worth.

Seventeen of the 20 clubs backed the offer but the decision drew sharp criticism from Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis.

“It’s a total defeat for Italian football, these deals will be the death of Italian football. The problem is being a borrower or an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur must know how to measure the risk area, it is more convenient but this will never implement the value of Italian football”, he stated via press release.

Serie A earns around 930 million euros every season from the sale of its TV rights in Italy under a three-year contract that expires next June, with DAZN once again taking the lion’s share. DAZN will exclusively carry seven Serie A games each week (266 out of 380 matches per season). The remaining three will be carried by DAZN and Sky (114 matches per season).

In recent months, Serie A explored the creation of a media platform to distribute matches to other TV outlets as well as the launch of a home-run live video subscription service.

Torino chairman Urbano Cairo was all for the deal claiming the league was correct to continue the partnership.

“Figures were below our initial expectations and below our current contracts, but I think we were right to continue our relationship with Sky and DAZN. Creating a Serie A TV channel now, would had meant adding further risk to a risky business he stated via press release,” he told reporters.

When some variable components tied to revenue sharing are included, the new contracts may match or even exceed the value of the present contracts and reach 1 billion euros.

Strategic Plan 2023-2026 launched by Football West

Football West Strategic Plan

Football West recently announced the launch of their 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, a documentation affiliated with Football Australia’s One Football Strategy that will set the direction for football in Western Australia for the coming years.

The plan will see Football West improve the game under five essential departments:

  • Participants and Clubs
  • Elite Teams and Pathways
  • Fans
  • Unifying Football
  • Asia and the Sam Kerr Football Centre

Participants and Clubs

The first pillar has the aim to make Football the most accessible sport in Western Australia where everyone can play anytime, anywhere.

There are key targets set such as: Increase registrations by 5% per annum, increase participation by 3% per annum and have 95% of clubs and associations with a completed affiliation agreement (presently 82%).

Another key focus is the development of women and girls football which isn’t surprising after the recent Women’s World Cup success. Football West set a goal of 42,500 additional women & girls playing football across the three year plan.

Elite Teams and Pathways

This pillar focuses simply on the development of talent at all ages in a bid to improve the quality of the game in Western Australia.

The focus areas are Delivery of a state-wide Football West Academy program, Frequent and consistent talent identification opportunities and High quality coach development pathway

Fans

Football West is focusing on optimising the fan experience and grassroots to improve attendance numbers and social media engagement.

Unifying Football

They will develop a resourcing model that allows for the servicing of responsibilities between Football Australia and Football West, formalised in a Service Agreement

Asia and the Sam Kerr Football Centre

Football West will look to improve international exchanges with Asian countries and use the Sam Kerr Football Centre to secure sponsorships and play big matches there by 2026.

Football West Chairman Sherif Andrawes mentioned the vision that the federation has for the future of football across all levels.

“We are excited to present the Strategic Plan to the WA football community. This is a vision that will see football move forward in tandem with Football Australia but with a strong WA focus,” Andrawes said in a statement.

“Football is in a great position across the state. We saw during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and, more recently, when the CommBank Matildas played in Perth, that our sport is unique in its widespread appeal. This passion can be felt across all areas of the game.

“We want to be bold and ambitious, and the Strategic Plan gives us a strong base from which to deliver on that.”

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell was excited to announce how the Strategic Plan would be implemented successfully.

“This Strategic Plan is a real statement of intent and one we are proud to deliver. Harnwell mentioned in a Football West statement.

“Football is more popular than it has ever been in Western Australia, in terms of participation, inclusivity and popularity, and we should all be proud of this. However, we cannot rest on our laurels.

“As a governing body, we want to make our game even more accessible, so we can inspire a new generation to love football. That comes through hard work, consultation and direction, all of which are key to the Strategic Plan.”

The Strategic Plan is well set out and focuses on the current struggles the federation is having at grassroots level. Partnering closely with Football Australia will help them achieve the ambitious goals set out to improve both the state and national foundation.

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