International soccer federation FIFA has extended its agreement with MATCH Hospitality to continue managing hospitality ticket packages for its games.
The new agreement calls for MATCH to pay FIFA $300 million and a percentage of sales, which allows the company to sell and manage corporate ticket packages for FIFA’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup matches.
The deal also calls for MATCH to sell ticket packages to the Confederations Cup in 2017 and 2021, and the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and 2023.
MATCH handled hospitality package sales for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, which resulted in the company reportedly taking a loss of $50 million. But the two entities said they are more confident about financial prospects for future World Cups and other events.
“MATCH Hospitality delivered a successful hospitality program in 2010 despite the very challenging economic situation influencing this particular industry at the time,” FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil said in a statement. “FIFA has renewed and extended with a company and partner that brings together the most experienced team in the hospitality industry to deliver sustainable high-quality services to the corporate clients for FIFA’s flagship events on a long-term basis.”
Additionally, the new agreement is designed to help FIFA prevent unauthorized ticket resales.
“The agreement also further strengthens FIFA’s fight against ticket [scalpers],” Weil continued. “Thanks to their expertise and monitoring facilities, MATCH Hospitality will be in a position to assist FIFA in enforcing the provisions governing the sale of hospitality packages, effectively preventing unauthorized dealers from luring corporate clients and individuals into buying such packages from them.”
Graham Burns, chairman of the United Kingdom’s Association of Secondary Ticket Agents (ASTA), sees the extension as a disappointing deterrent to legitimate resellers.
“Where is the transparency here?” Burns told TicketNews. “The continued policy of restricted sales does nothing but manipulate supply and drive up the cost of these event tickets to the consumer.”
