Way back in 2018, Sports Business Journal published its first group of Power Players: Ticketing. And while “way back” may read a bit tongue in cheek, the ticketing industry has dramatically shifted since.
The efforts to use data to reach true one-to-one fan personalization have never been greater. The digital ticket has evolved into much more than just a convenience: It’s a vessel for so many other experiences now folded into the modern game day. There are more players than ever before — spanning primary and secondary ticketers, inventory managers, hospitality and premium curators, solution builders, consultants and tech providers — acting as pieces to a full ticketing strategy.
So for this second class of Power Players: Ticketing, we highlight companies that are affecting the incremental revenue around sports. Perhaps most emblematic of the changes in the space? There were only five repeat honorees: AXS CEO Bryan Perez, SeatGeek President of Supply Russ D’Souza, Gametime CEO Brad Griffith, Eventellect co-founder Patrick Ryan and KAGR CEO Jessica Gelman.
Matthew Jafarian
Co-Founder, 601 Analytics
Matthew Jafarian, also the Executive Vice President of Business Strategy for the HEAT, helped the franchise spin out 601 Analytics as co-founder in 2020. The firm provides important functionality to both sides of the franchise-ticketer relationship. For its clients (spanning all the major North American leagues), 601 Analytics builds and maintains data warehouses. From there, it builds out a unified view that weaves together revenue streams to produce consolidated insights.