First Football – Now Hockey Signs With Ticketmaster on Resale Ticket Service

Yesterday we learned that the NFL and Ticketmaster have joined together in a partnership to form a rival to eBay’s StubHub. Ticketmaster is owned by IAC (Nasdaq:IACI).

Today it’s the NHL. The National Hockey League has signed a deal with Ticketmaster to create a resale service. Ticketmaster is now known as the "Official Resale Ticket Provider of the NHL."

They note in the release, "The NHL resale ticketing service will provide fans looking to buy or sell NHL tickets a safe, convenient and league-endorsed resale platform." I like how they call it safe. What they really mean is a "way for us to make bushels of cash on you".

Eric Korman, Ticketmaster Executive Vice President then said, "Hockey fans will benefit from greater protection, flexibility and the unparalleled efficiency of our technology. The NHL wins by providing to fans the ability to resell tickets in a safe and secure environment. Our partnership will also make it easier for the League and its teams to connect with its millions of fans directly."

What he really means is that Ticketmaster will make money coming and going. So now you buy a ticket for a game, pay the ripoff Ticketmaster fee and you can instantly turn around and sell it on the resale service and pay another fee! It’s very smart, I give them that.

It’d be interesting to get a report from Ticketmaster showing how many people buy tickets only to a moment later resell them.