Buffalo Sabres
“With ‘My Replay’ from Tickets.com, we keep our season ticket holders happy by enabling them to recoup their investment for games they can’t attend. And, we can track the ticket buyers who make fertile targets for future marketing.”
John Sinclair
Director of Ticket Operations/Services
Buffalo Sabres
Profile
The Buffalo Sabres is a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. Members of the Eastern Conference’s Northeast Division of the National Hockey League (NHL), the team plays its home games at HSBC Arena. In the 2005-06 season the team finished the regular season with 52 wins, surpassing the 50-win mark for the first time in franchise history.
The Challenge
A popular team, the Sabres seldom had good seats available because every game was sold out. However, there were still hundreds of no-shows per game, resulting in lost revenue opportunities from parking and concessions. Consequently, the Sabres wanted to open up those unused seats to other fans who could attend the games, but were not able to secure tickets.
The Solution
With the anticipated increase in ticket demand for the 2006-07 season following the team’s record-breaking season the previous year, the Sabres introduced “My Replay,” incorporating Tickets.com proprietary Replay Ticket Exchange® technology. This product would allow season ticket holders to post and sell tickets they were unable to use, and give other fans the opportunity to buy tickets to games that are usually sold out.
Key Successes
Fans who purchased tickets through “My Replay” did so in a safe, secure, team-sanctioned online environment. So, they were assured that the tickets they purchased will be honored at the gate.
Once a ticket was sold through “My Replay,” the original control codes were no longer valid and access would be denied at the HSBC Arena entrances. The Sabres facilitated the transaction by issuing new authorized tickets with unique control codes to the buyer. The buyer could then print the tickets immediately using Tickets@Home®, receive the tickets through the mail, or pick them up at the HSBC Arena will call windows on the day of the game. There would be no exchange between the ticket buyer and the season ticket holder.
Additional Benefits
Besides giving ticket buyers a safe method to purchase tickets from other Sabres fans, the team was particularly interested in keeping its season ticket holders happy. In addition to providing them with a vehicle to recoup money for their unused tickets, the franchise gave the season ticket holders a convenient means of managing their season ticket inventory. They could also electronically transfer tickets to friends, family, and business associates with the password-protected “My Sabres Tickets” portal enabled through Tickets.com. The Sabres believed that these services were helping the team retain season ticket holders.
Providing these conveniences to fans also benefitted the Sabres by giving the team control over the secondary sale of its tickets. The franchise set a minimum price for all tickets sold through “My Replay” and determined ticket locations eligible for re-sale. Additionally, the team could track who bought and sold tickets and deny service to anyone who abused it.
Since offering “My Replay” to its season ticket holders and strong fan base, the Sabres eliminated 300 to 400 no-shows per game, and realized the potential revenue otherwise lost from empty seats. Even more significant, the Sabres provided its loyal season ticket holders and fans with new ways to interact with the team, optimize the use of their tickets, access the best available tickets online, and enhance their experience with the team and HSBC Arena.
For more information, please contact our sales department:
Toll Free – (888) 397-3400
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www.tickets.com
sales@tickets.com
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