Major League Baseball has inked a new multi-year agreement with StubHub that will see the resale marketplace designated as the league’s Official Direct Issuance Partner, expanding how primary ticket inventory reaches fans.
The partnership, announced Thursday, will roll out ahead of the 2026 season. It allows MLB “primary” ticket inventory to be distributed directly through StubHub and other Authorized Ticket Marketplaces, offering fans more choice and selection through open competition across platforms.
“With StubHub’s Direct Issuance technology, we can give fans new ways to access tickets to their favorite Club’s games,” said Noah Garden, MLB Deputy Commissioner, Business & Media. “This partnership underscores our commitment to providing the best possible fan experience by leveraging StubHub’s data, distribution, and technology.”
StubHub has long been a ticketing partner for baseball, but this latest agreement formalizes its growing role in the primary ticketing ecosystem. Shaun Stewart, the company’s Vice President of Direct Issuance, called the move a step forward for both sides: “Major League Baseball has been a great long-term partner of ours, and we are excited to continue breaking new ground with our Direct Issuance technology partnership. StubHub’s data, distribution, and technology can help ensure fans can easily access the tickets they want.”
The move is the latest example of professional sports leagues embracing multi-marketplace distribution strategies. MLB has steadily expanded its Authorized Ticket Marketplace (ATM) program, recently adding TicketNetwork to the fold alongside platforms like SeatGeek, TFL, Ticketmaster, and StubHub. The goal is to give fans more choices in where and how they buy legitimate tickets, while broadening reach through platforms with established global audiences.
That approach stands in sharp contrast to the concert business, where promoters like Live Nation Entertainment and AEG continue their efforts to lock out competition by forcing all transactions to take place on their chosen marketplace – declaring all other marketplace competition as fraudulent, illegal, or both. Instead of allowing multiple marketplaces to sell primary tickets, such systems typically force fans to purchase exclusively through Ticketmaster (or AXS), limiting consumer choice and often driving up costs through so-called “market-based” or dynamic pricing – and drawing significant antitrust attention from lawmakers.
StubHub says it currently operates in 200 countries and 33 languages, offering access to more than 100 million tickets annually across sports, music, theater, and other live entertainment. With MLB now leaning further into its distribution network, the league is signaling a continued openness to diversified ticket access at a time when consumer frustration with monopolistic practices elsewhere in live entertainment is running high.
