Ticket resale marketplace Vivid Seats and entertainment giant AEG have announced a partnership that will make the Chicago-based company the official resale marketplace of the LA Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS) organizations. The partnership is a first for Vivid Seats with an NHL franchise, and will include in-venue signage and branding for the platform.
“We are excited to welcome the LA Kings and the LA Galaxy to our growing roster of team partnerships as we continue to provide Vivid Seats customers with unique and premium experiences,” said Geoff Lester, Chief Commercial Officer at Vivid Seats.
As part of the deal, consumers shopping for tickets to home games at Crypto.com Arena (Kings) and Dignity Health Sports Park (Galaxy) will have exclusive access to specific rows branded as “Vivid Seats Elite Seats” that come with added perks beyond just the view of the action. Those rows – Row D in Section 130 at Galaxy matches and Row 9 in Section 103 for the Kings – will bring benefits that can include perks like field passes, parking passes, team merch, and complementary food and beverage options. They will also bring with them the potential for fans sitting in the seats to be featured on the venue video boards as part of in-game promotions.
“This powerful partnership is further enhanced by the existing integration between AXS and Vivid Seats, ultimately enriching the fan experience for both LA Kings and LA Galaxy fans,” said Nick Baker, COO, AEG Global Partnerships. “We look forward to providing our dedicated supporters with even more access to exceptional game-day moments as a result of this relationship.”
Crypto.com Arena is one of the limited number of venues of its size in North America that is not currently locked in to an exclusive ticketing contract with a primary box office vendor. The Kings are an AXS client – logical given that their parent company AEG is also AXS’ parent company. Other Crypto.com Arena tenants the Los Angeles Clippers are also ticketed by AXS, while the LA Lakers are a Ticketmaster client. Dignity Health Sports Park and the LA Galaxy are also AXS clients for primary box office ticketing.
California is one of multiple states that has entertained the notion of banning exclusive contracts between ticketing companies and vendors on the grounds that they stifle competition and lead to higher fees paid by consumers – but thus far, the legislation has not been able to advance beyond the extensive lobbying reach of California-based Live Nation Entertainment, Ticketmaster’s parent.
