Vivid Seats

Vivid Seats
Private
Industry Ticket resale
Founded 2001
Founders Jerry Bednyak and Eric Vassilatos
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois, United States
Area served
 Worldwide
Products Tickets for live sports, concert, theater events
Website www.vividseats.com

Vivid Seats is an independently owned and operated online secondary ticket resale marketplace for fans looking to buy and sell tickets to live concert, sport, and theater events worldwide. The company was founded in 2001 by former college roommates Jerry Bednyak and Eric Vassilatos and is currently headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.[1]

History

Vivid Seats was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 2001 by Jerry Bednyak and Eric Vassilatos, who met in college at the University of Iowa where they were roommates.[2] According to the Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty list in 2012,[3] No. 8 Vivid Seats’ revenue in 2011 was $65 million and at the time, the company also had experienced 1,000% revenue growth since 2006.

Operations

Like major competitors StubHub, eBay, SeatGeek, and TicketsNow, Vivid Seats serves as the intermediary between buyers and sellers for sports, concert, and theater events held worldwide.[4] Fans selling tickets at Vivid Seats can do so free of charge but will incur a 10% commission fee collected once the tickets have sold.[5]

For buyers, service fees vary per order, while shipping charges will reflect the type of delivery method selected (FedEx, instant download, email, special delivery, pick up, will call).[6] All confirmed orders are covered under the Vivid Seats 100% Buyer Guarantee.[7]

Expansion

In May 2014, it was announced that Vivid Seats would be expanding and moving its corporate headquarters to Chicago’s West Loop while also retaining office space for its operations team on the city’s Near West Side Chicago.[8] Built in Chicago reported that the company’s employee base has risen 400 percent since 2011.[9] The corporate headquarters at 111 N. Canal St. also was chosen as the Chicago home for other tech companies like Twitter, Uber, and Gogo Inflight Internet.[10]

Additional Services

Vivid Seats opened up its marketplace to fan sellers in 2008 via its “Sell Your Seats” program. Fans can list their tickets for free but are charged a 10% commission for all tickets sold through the site.[11]

In May 2013, Vivid Seats announced that its event ticketing information would be available through integration with Google Now.[12] Later in 2013, Vivid Seats unveiled its first rewards program, Vivid Values.[13] In 2014, Vivid Seats introduced SkyBox, a cloud-based ticket resale platform for professional sellers,[14] in addition to its White Label Program for online marketers and ticketing site owners.[15]

Reputation

Vivid Seats is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers[16] and is a Better Business Bureau Accredited Business since 2003.[17] In a 2014 breakdown of Vivid Seats by LegitTicketReviews.com, the company was found to be an excellent online ticket provider overall, with the reviewer noting that the only negative aspect to Vivid Seats is its inability to guarantee exact seat locations.[18]

Partnerships

Vivid Seats has predominantly added professional and collegiate sports partnerships, with the exception of various news entities within the Tribune Media Company. Past and present Vivid Seats partners include the Big Ten Conference,[19] USA Today,[20] International Champions Cup,[21] Chicago Bears,[22] Miami Dolphins,[23] Rose Bowl Stadium,[24] Kansas State,[25] Georgetown University,[26] Texas Tech,[27] Denver Broncos,[28] and the West Coast Conference.[29]

As of Sept. 2014, the full list of Vivid Seats partners includes:[30]

Recognition

In the Media

The Chicago Bears’ selection of Vivid Seats as its official fan packages partner for the 2014 season was regarded by Chicago Inno,[34] Crain’s Chicago Business,[35] and Built in Chicago[36] for the organization’s decision to support a local brand.

A 2013 USA Today feature regarding how to get tickets for big events included tips and strategies from Vivid Seats for the average ticket buyer.[37]

Ticket pricing data from Vivid Seats has been cited in stories by news outlets like Fox Sports,[38] Forbes,[39] CNBC,[40] Yahoo! Sports,[41] and Deadspin.[42]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Fast Fifty No. 8: Vivid Seats Ltd.". ChicagoBusiness.com. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Fast Fifty No. 8: Vivid Seats Ltd.". ChicagoBusiness.com. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "100% Buyer Guarantee". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  8. ↑ Ori, Ryan (21 May 2014). "Vivid Seats punches ticket to West Loop office building". ChicagoBusiness.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  9. ↑ Boehm, Connor (29 May 2014). "With 400 percent growth, Vivid Seats expands its headquarters". BuiltInChicago.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  10. ↑ Ori, Ryan (17 September 2014). "Uber accelerates Chicago growth with new West Loop lease". ChicagoBusiness.com. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Online Ticket Agency, VividSeats.com, Launches Its "Sell Your Seats" Program" (Press release). 15 October 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "Vivid Seats Ticketing Information Available in Google Now" (Press release). 15 May 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Vivid Values: Deals on Event Tickets". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "Introducing SkyBox from Vivid Seats". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "Vivid Seats launches new white label program, industry-friendly alternative for the ticketing industry" (Press release). 13 August 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "NATB Member Verification". NATB.org. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "BBB Business Review". BBB.org. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "VividSeats Reviews 2014". LegitTicketReviews.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  19. ↑ "Big Ten selects Vivid Seats as its Official Ticket Reseller" (Press release). 19 August 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  20. ↑ "USA Today Sports Announces Partnership with Vivid Seats" (Press release). 3 April 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  21. ↑ "International Soccer Match Sells Out on First Day of General Sale" (Press release). 10 April 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  22. ↑ "Vivid Seats to Offer Chicago Bears Fan Packages Through New Partnership" (Press release). 30 July 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  23. ↑ "Vivid Seats and Miami Dolphins Partner to Offer Fan Travel Packages" (Press release). 6 August 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  24. ↑ "Rose Bowl Stadium Inks Multi-Year Ticket Partnership with Vivid Seats" (Press release). 14 October 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  25. ↑ "K-State Athletics Partners with Vivid Seats" (Press release). 4 August 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  26. ↑ "Georgetown Athletics Designates Vivid Seats as Official Ticket Reseller" (Press release). 10 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  27. ↑ "Texas Tech Partners with Vivid Seats" (Press release). 5 August 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  28. ↑ "Denver Broncos Choose Vivid Seats to Offer Ultimate Fan Packages for the 2014 Playoffs" (Press release). 3 January 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  29. ↑ "West Coast Conference selects Vivid Seats as official reseller" (Press release). 27 December 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  30. ↑ "Partners". Vivid Seats. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  31. ↑ "Who made the list? Techweek Chicago reveals its Techweek 100". Hindsight. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  32. ↑ "The Top 100 Chicago Startups 2013". BuiltInChicago.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  33. ↑ "Fast Fifty No. 8: Vivid Seats Ltd.". ChicagoBusiness.com. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  34. ↑ Dallke, Jim (4 August 2014). "Bears Opting for Local Ticket Reseller Vivid Seats is a Win for Chicago Tech". ChicagoInno.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  35. ↑ Ecker, Danny (4 August 2014). "Bears ditch PrimeSport for Vivid Seats". ChicagoBusiness.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  36. ↑ Sack, Carlin (16 September 2014). "Local Partnership win: online ticket marketplace Vivid Seats signs da Bears". BuiltInChicago.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  37. ↑ Stoller, Gary (9 July 2013). "How to score tickets for big-name events". USAToday.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  38. ↑ Hartwell, Darren (6 August 2014). "The NFL's most expensive ticket for 2014 may surprise you". FoxSports.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  39. ↑ Heitner, Darren (6 June 2013). "Heat vs Spurs NBA Finals Tickets Moderately Priced, Especially in San Antonio". Forbes.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  40. ↑ Koba, Mark (26 March 2014). "What March Madness tickets cost-by region". CNBC.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  41. ↑ Busbee, Jay (6 June 2014). "Which of the remaining NHL/NBA Finals games will cost the most?". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  42. ↑ Wagner, Kyle (5 August 2014). "Which NFL Teams Do Fans Not Want to Watch in Person". Deadspin.com. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
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