Industry Press / 08.21.18
USTA and Ticketmaster Extend Long Term Partnership With a Focus on Ticketing Innovation
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., AUGUST 21, 2018 – The USTA today announced the renewal of its official ticketing partnership with Ticketmaster, the global market leader in ticketing.
With over 700,000 people attending every year, the US Open is one of the highest annually attended sporting events in the world. Ticketmaster will continue to serve as its Official Ticketing Partner, providing both series subscribers and single session buyers with a safe and secure marketplace to buy, sell, and transfer verified tickets on USOpen.org, the US Open App, Ticketmaster.com, and the Ticketmaster App.
“We are committed to providing US Open fans with the best “end to end” ticketing experience and technology; from the purchase to the arrival on-site,” said Lew Sherr, Chief Revenue Officer. “With 55 ticketed events across the three weeks of the US Open, we need a proven ticketing partner that consistently delivers best-in-class services to fans as well as our venue operations. We are proud to say Ticketmaster is that partner.”
In this renewed partnership, 2018 US Open fans will continue to attend the iconic event using digital ticketing technology, enabling fans to enter the gates with their mobile device that’s always on hand. Using any of the US Open’s or Ticketmaster’s digital platforms, fans can buy and access their tickets, transfer them to friends, download them to a digital wallet, and never have to worry about forgotten or lost tickets.
“Ticketmaster is honored to once again work alongside the USTA as we continue to roll out our latest technology to improve the live tennis experience for fans,” shared Marla Ostroff, EVP - Strategic Accounts for Ticketmaster North America. “The US Open’s transition to digital ticketing will continue to benefit fans by eliminating ticket fraud while also supporting the USTA’s efforts to deliver a world-class fan experience.”
The USTA-Ticketmaster partnership began in 2008, and throughout the past 10 years, the US Open has consistently been an early adopter of Ticketmaster’s market-leading product innovations. In 2008, the US Open Ticket Exchange first enabled fans to buy and sell 100% verified tickets, significantly increasing fans’ peace of mind that the tickets they buy are the tickets that will get them in. In 2013, the introduction of TM+ and its unified ticket marketplace enabled fans to shop all verified ticket options in one place. And in 2017, the US Open shifted digital tickets to mobile tickets, increasing ticket mobility and the ability to create a more personalized one-to-one connection with the fan.
About the US Open and the USTA
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 655,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA and the US Open, go to USTA.com, USOpen.org or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat.
About Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster is the global market leader in live event ticketing that drives 500 million ticket transactions per year. Through exclusive partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports leagues, and arts and theater tours, Ticketmaster delivers unparalleled access to the most iconic live events to millions of fans worldwide.
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