What is Verified Fan?
At Ticketmaster, we are committed to always putting fans first and ensuring that they have fair access to tickets for their favourite artists and events. Verified Fan utilises Ticketmaster technology, using algorithms and unique data, to identify and remove anyone using unfair tactics to access tickets and ensure that tickets get into the hands of true fans. Ticketmaster Verified Fan has supported over 80 tours globally – selling three million tickets – with artists and shows like Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, LCD Soundsystem, Depeche Mode, Katy Perry, Hamilton (US), and Harry Styles using the technology to gets tickets directly to fans.
How does it work?
By offering a pre-registration process, we can use our unique data and algorithms to identify and block bots and brokers, giving real fans the exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets before they are released to the general public. Fans register for the presale, we then analyse the data and only provide real fans with a one-time use, unique, access code that they then use to access the Verified Fan Presale.
Through Verified Fan, Ticketmaster is changing the mechanisms of an onsale so that the speed of bots is no longer a factor in the rush to get tickets.
“Ticketmaster’s innovative fan-first Verified Fan technology has had huge success globally in limiting the secondary ticketing market,” says Maria O’Connor, Managing Director, Ticketmaster Australia & New Zealand. “We are committed to working with artists and promoters in Australia and New Zealand to ensure tickets are going into the hands of genuine fans, and not bots or scalpers.”
Tim Minchin Verified Fan Campaign
Ahead of his first Australian tour in six years and his return to New Zealand stages, Australian musician and comedian, Tim Minchin utilised Ticketmaster Verified Fan to ensure fans wanting tickets to his tour had first access. The results from the presale prove the strength of Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan technology in ensuring fan-first access to tickets.
As Tim pointed out in a video created to explain the process, “Verified Fan is a way of stopping scalpers buying loads of tickets and selling them to poor, desperate people for way too much money…if as many people as possible do, we will make sure that tickets end up in the hands of people who have paid a reasonable price so we don’t all get fleeced.”
During the sign-up period, 25,887 entries were recorded, resulting in 22,407 Verified customers and the removal of 3,476 unverified entries. More than 30,000 tickets were sold during the presale period, 65% desktop sales and 35% on mobile.
Prior to the general public onsale, there were no listings recorded on Ticketmaster Resale and less than 20 listings on Viagogo.
Besides the successful lockout of scalpers and other bots, another positive takeaway from the use of Verified Fan is that a contact list can be created earlier in the process, saving time during rollout.
“Helping our artists ensure that their biggest fans have first access to tickets is at the forefront of what we do. And with over 25,000 tickets sold and less than 20 listings on Viagogo, we achieved this with Verified Fan,” Live Nation Australasia’s Director of Comedy Bec Sutherland says.
“The registration process provided real-time insights into demand for tickets – for the tour as a whole and at the individual event level. After the registration period closed, we were able to look at the data and announce multiple option shows. All before a single ticket was sold.”
To learn more about the benefits of activating Verified Fan on your next event, contact [email protected]
