Kraft Sports & Entertainment, which operates the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium, has announced an extension of its relationship with Ticketmaster. The ticketing company will continue to serve as the primary ticket vendor for both teams and other events at the stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“Ticketmaster has been a great partner to us,” said Jim Nolan, Chief Operating Officer of Gillette Stadium and Kraft Sports + Entertainment. “As Gillette Stadium strives to keep the fan experience ahead of the ever-evolving sports and entertainment industry trends, we are thrilled to extend our relationship with Ticketmaster.”
The announcement of the extension focuses on the continued expansion of mobile-only ticketing options at stadium events. Like all other NFL franchises save the Buffalo Bills – who are required to offer consumer choice by New York state law – New England no longer allows consumers to receive tickets in any format other than mobile-only ticket formats locked to their phones. This allows the ticketing company and its partners like Kraft Sports & Entertainment to keep tabs on every user in its building, and control the ability to sell, transfer of give away tickets, including imposing price floors on resale when it is allowed.
In addition to accessing their tickets via the Gillette Stadium mobile app or Ticketmaster app, the partnership includes a “Virtual Venue” that offers a 3D view from every seat in the building. It will also result in the re-branding of one of the main entry points of the stadium to the Ticketmaster Gate – which will be “part of a completely reimagined fan experience that will include leading-edge technology for security and ticket scanning,” according to the announcement.
“Kraft Sports + Entertainment has long-been one of the most forward-thinking partners in the industry,” said Clay Luter, Ticketmaster Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Sports. “We value their partnership and look forward to working together to continually innovate and improve upon the fan experience at Gillette Stadium.”
Ticketmaster remains the ticketing partner for much of the National Football League. Only the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Arizona Cardinals are on a different platform, with each using SeatGeek as their primary ticketing vendor.