The Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center have signed a partnership to make SeatGeek the official ticketing partner for every event at one of the country’s busiest arenas.
The partnership with BSE Global, which manages the Joe Tsai-owned Nets and Barclays Center, starts in October. SeatGeek will become the exclusive ticket supplier for Nets games, New York Liberty games, concerts and all other events.
The deal is a change for BSE, which is currently working with Ticketmaster. It’s also a landmark deal for SeatGeek, which started as a secondary marketplace but is gradually adding direct relationships with teams and venues. Not only is this the largest ticketing deal by volume in company history, but the variety of shows should help SeatGeek grow into new communities, according to co-founder and CEO Jack Groetzinger.
“They have so much content coming through Barclays Center, and it’s really diverse, from concerts to basketball to family events,” Groetzinger said in an interview. “That gives us lots of ways to show off SeatGeek.”
The Barclays Center has more than 200 ticketed events per year during non-COVID times. It is both one of the busiest and highest grossing arenas in the country. Financial specifics weren’t released.
The deal includes access to SeatGeek’s software, platform and app—where Nets fans will be able to buy, transfer, sell and scan tickets—plus its arena map and price evaluation products. There are resale benefits as well. The partnership will make it easier for ticket-holders to list on SeatGeek, and the Nets can push fans in that direction.
It also includes more traditional marketing aspects. The main gathering area in front of the arena will be renamed SeatGeek Plaza, and the company will have advertising opportunities during games.
“BSE Global and SeatGeek have similar DNA when it comes to innovating and adapting to the ever-evolving preferences of the live event consumer market,” BSE Global CEO John Abbamondi said in a statement.
SeatGeek was founded in 2009 as a mobile-first ticketing platform. Its backers include Causeway Media Partners (co-founded by Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck), Melo7 Tech Partners (co-founded by Carmelo Anthony) and Elysian Park Ventures (founded by the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers). Individual investors include rapper Nas and former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
The company, headquartered in New York City, has deals with the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Major League Soccer. This is the second NBA venue it has under contract, joining Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
