StubHub is extending the scope of its event sponsorships beyond the usual sports and concerts to the realm of live theatre. The fan-to-fan ticket marketplace has cut a deal with producers to be the official resale site for North American productions of the hit musical “Jersey Boys.”
As a part of the deal, StubHub will boost its promotion for “Jersey Boys” tickets on its site and Times Square storefront, while also paying a sponsorship fee to the production. In exchange, “Jersey Boys” will promote the resale site as a solution for fans who need tickets to sold-out shows.
Since “Jersey Boys” opened on Broadway in November 2005, tickets have been in high demand and shows regularly sell out. The musical, which traces the life of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, has been a frequent fixture on TicketNews’s exclusive event rankings.
“Our box office frequently does not have seats for a ticket buyer’s preferred performance,” the show’s producer Michael David said in a statement. “Now, StubHub can offer a safe opportunity for online transactions between the ticket buyer and the person who cannot use their previously purchased ticket.”
StubHub’s deal with “Jersey Boys” will cover all of North America, from Broadway to the show’s open-ended runs in Chicago, Las Vegas and Toronto, and the nearly 40 cities included in the ongoing national “Jersey Boys” tour. Productions are also running in London, ENG, and Melbourne, AUS, but will not be covered by the sponsorship.
The four-time Tony winning musical hopes to cash in on StubHub’s predominately male market. “We’re always looking for ways to reach a reluctant segment of the Broadway audience: men,” David told Variety.
The partnership is also breaking new ground on the Great White Way, which has been notably hesitant to forge official secondary market relationships. This official sponsorship isn’t new to other areas of live event ticketing, though. StubHub has already signed similar sponsorships with Madonna and Major League Baseball, among other recording artists and sports teams.
“Not only is this an exciting first for StubHub, but it signals a significant change of mind on Broadway. ‘Jersey Boys’ is poised to pair one of the most popular theater productions in America with the most popular secondary destination for tickets in the world,” Chuck La Vallee, head of music and entertainment business development at StubHub, said in a statement.