SeatGeek has launched a new suite of tools aimed at enhancing the premium ticket-buying experience, part of its continued effort to improve the live event journey for fans and rightsholders.
Dubbed Beyond the Seat, the new product is designed to help teams and venues better showcase the value of premium seating options, making features like all-inclusive food, VIP entrances, and superior sightlines more visible during the purchase process.
“Fans aren’t just buying a seat, they’re buying the experience around it,” said Russ D’Souza, co-founder of SeatGeek. “This release helps our partners bring that full experience to life earlier in the journey. Fans know what they’re getting, and teams and venues can fill more seats and drive stronger returns.”
SeatGeek’s internal research highlights the opportunity: a Fall 2024 survey revealed that over 40% of sports fans lack confidence in finding premium tickets, and more than half of general admission buyers say they struggle to justify the cost — not due to unwillingness to spend, but a lack of clarity around what the price includes.
Key Features of Beyond the Seat:
- Experiential Shopping: Uses rich visuals and video to show off amenities, clubs, and perks beyond just seat location.
- Premium Listings (Beta): Allows premium seating options like suites and VIP areas to appear alongside standard tickets, giving fans a clearer picture of upgrade opportunities.
- Real Fan Views (Coming Soon): Enables fans to upload and share real photos of their experiences to help future buyers better visualize what they’re purchasing.
- Immersive View From Seat: A 360-degree, lifelike visual of the seat’s view enhances the pre-purchase experience beyond traditional static images.
- In-App Upsells and Seat Upgrades: Gives fans more chances to enhance their event day, including upgrading seats or buying merchandise from within the app.
According to SeatGeek, these features aim to bridge the gap between price and perceived value, making premium tickets more accessible and understandable to fans while helping rightsholders drive higher engagement and revenue.
The rollout of Beyond the Seat varies by league and partner integration. The Experiential Shopping feature is already live on desktop for MLB events and is available to NFL, NHL, and NBA partners upon request. Premium Listings are currently in beta for MLB. Real Fan Views will begin beta testing in July, while Immersive View From Seat is already live for select partners across leagues.
