New ticket search Web site FanSnap.com in beta phase

A new Web site, that allows fans to search for tickets to events in their area, is currently in the beta phase as it prepares for its official launch.

FanSnap, co-founded in 2007 by former StubHub Chief Marketing Officer Michael Janes and former Google and MTV Networks executive Rishi Garg, claims partnerships with 52 online ticket providers that allows fans to search through a huge playing field of tickets.

The site specializes in sports, concert and theatre events and offers targeted searches for tickets, but it is not a broker site, nor is it a ticket exchange. Once a fan enters a search phrase, such as "New York Rangers" for example, they are taken to a page with a map of Madison Square Garden with dozens of tickets from various providers. They can drill down and reset the search to only include tickets within a certain price range, or look for games within certain cities, among other search criteria.

FanSnap lists several high-profile ticket sites among its partners, including AllShows.com, Ace Ticket, Golden Tickets, Prestige Entertainment and StubHub.

"We felt there was a need in the market for this, because the number of ticket providers has exploded over the last few years," Janes told TicketNews. "There is a huge amount of choice. Even the big players don't necessarily represent the lion share of tickets."

The company's business model is similar to Google's cost-per-click system under which Fansnap is paid by generating targeted leads. In fact, Janes describes the site as the "Google for tickets," and said that the model allows for brokers of all sizes to list tickets with them. As he sees it, the advantage is that instead of offering customers too many choices from their searches, FanSnap allows consumers to find specific ticket deals from reputable sources. He added that he hopes to have more than 100 brokers on the site by the end of the year. The company's main investor is the venture capital firm General Catalyst.

"You go to where the customers are, whether it's selling directly or through a channel partner. Ultimately, we'd like to have relationships with all companies in the primary and secondary markets," Janes said.

Sean Pate, spokesperson for StubHub, told TicketNews that Janes's tenure at the company "brought dramatic positive change to the company's customer acquisition strategy." He added that Janes's savvy business sense continues to drive innovation in the ticket industry.

"FanSnap is an exciting new venture in ticket search and we're happy to affiliate with this dynamic resource for locating tickets," Pate said.