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Ticket chase

Ace Ticket deal offers several benefits for the Red Sox
By IAN DONNIS  |  March 12, 2008

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Ticket shock: Fans are paying the price for the Sox success: inside the Fenway fiasco. By Ian Donnis

By partnering with Ace Ticket, the Boston Red Sox are gently edging closer to the new era of secondary-ticket sales while shielding themselves from criticism that fans could have been expected to make about a similar arrangement with StubHub.com.

This past week, the Phoenix broke the news that the Sox were opting out of the agreement struck this past year that made StubHub the official ticket reseller of Major League Baseball. On Saturday, the Boston Globe reported that the team signed a one-year agreement for Ace Ticket to be the organization’s official “offline” ticket re-sale agency for season-ticket holders.

Sam Kennedy, the Sox’ senior VP for sales/marketing, calls the deal with Ace Ticket “a straight advertising relationship.” The team will gain revenue by placing Ace’s name on the scoreboard for three innings during each game and on a billboard near Fenway Park’s right-field fence. Unlike MLB’s deal with StubHub, in which teams will receive a percentage of revenue for tickets re-sold though StubHub, the Sox will not make money on Ace Ticket’s ticket re-sales, sparing the team accusations of double-dipping.

In explaining the Sox’ decision — apparently unique among MLB’s 30 franchises — to opt out of the StubHub partnership, Kennedy points to the squeeze on getting into Fenway, which is the smallest ballpark in baseball, with the most costly tickets.

The Sox have made more efforts than any other professional sports team to maximize the number of unique visitors to Fenway, he says, “[But] in the case of ticket availability, when you have under 39,000 tickets to sell [per home game] and 14 million fans, it’s an unsolvable problem.” Because of this incredible demand, the team opted to take a slow approach, he says, choosing not to get into the lucrative secondary-ticket-sales market this year.

Kennedy pointed to another reason why the team sided with Ace. “Our biggest concern, frankly, is fraud,” and the potential distribution of counterfeit tickets through Internet sales. “We felt it was incumbent on us to direct people to an offline location endorsed by the team,” he says, adding, “We found that Ace had the best reputation in the industry.”

Brookline-based Ace, which was launched in 1979 and now has seven Boston-area locations, is a familiar name for Sox fans, thanks to commercials aired by the company during game broadcasts.

Via e-mail, StubHub spokesman Sean Pate reacted to the Sox’ decision this way: “We’re disappointed the Red Sox have elected not to participate in the StubHub/MLB ticketing partnership. The team will always have the option to integrate our two systems. Regardless of any official designation, Red Sox fans will continue to see the best selection of seats and prices on StubHub, as they have for many seasons. Ticket prices at StubHub are driven by hundreds of different sellers competing with one another, where conversely, at brokerages like Ace only one party dictates the pricing.”

Ace Ticket founder Jim Holzman, however, says that both companies offer a wide range of tickets and that Ace has several advantages, including a guarantee that the tickets it offers are actually in stock, as well as complimentary pickup and delivery.

As a unique franchise among Major League Baseball, the Sox, Holzman says, are better off dealing with a local business that has operated for almost 30 years, winning recognition for its efforts and giving back to the community through charitable donations. “I’m thrilled with the deal,” Holzman says, likening it to a victory of a local David over a national Goliath.

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Comments
Ticket chase
The Sox have a good handle on how many tickets will be resold. Do they really think that taking the $ upfront as a "sponsorship" fee will be perceived any different than getting paid a piece of every ticket sold??? Mr. Dee, I'd call getting a big upfront payment "making money." I personally don't mind the team benefiting from a service everyone uses instead of acting like it doesn't exist. But acting like they have been forced to do this and that they don't benefit seems disingenuous. At least they are not like the Patriots who are trying to sue resale out of existence so they can corner the market themselves and force fans to join their $100 cover charge waiting list. The impending Mass. scalping law change can not happen fast enough.
By WTF? on 03/11/2008 at 3:35:13
Ticket chase
The Secondary Market is part of the economy. Always has been, always will be, just dont tell us season ticket holders where we can and can't sell tickets. Don't tell me I cant sell my tickets for more or you will revoke my rights and then encourage me in the season ticket holder letter to sell to Ace Ticket. The cheapest bleacher seat Ace Ticket has is $75, thats three times face value. What if I want to sell for 3X face value? The Red Sox say no. Why not? I called them this morning and they will only pay $35. So if I am going to resell, it must be to Ace for $35 so they can resell for $89. Why don't I just resell them myself. Why do I have to sell to Ace? I don't like Ace. That guy at the counter is downright mean. Last year the Red Sox told me to sell on Stub Hub. I don't like Stub Hub. They charge 25% of every transaction. Last year Stub Hub, this year Ace, next year the ticket scalping company the Red Sox own. Just watch, it will be like the Cubs. Either the secondary market is open or it isn't. Which is it Red Sox?
By SeasonTicketsSox on 03/17/2008 at 4:55:43
Ticket chase
I AGREE!! It is a complete scam.. Including the claim that ACE has been in business 30 years .. MORE LIKE FIVE.. There were no brokers around 30 years ago ! Look up ACE in BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU! SHAME on you RED SOX YOU ARE MAKING MONEY DIRECTLY or INDIRECTLY on ACE and YOU HAVE NO RIGHT LETTING ACE GET AWAY WITH SELLING AT HIGH PRICES BUT I CANNOT SELL MY SEASON TICKETS ON EBAY TO PEOPLE BIDDING ON TICKETS SETTING THEIR OWN PRICES!!
By dug on 03/23/2008 at 8:45:26

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