AXS has announced a partnership with retail giant Costco to sell tickets for AEG and other events.
The deal comes as AEG announces a number of new distribution partners including Groupon, Goldstar and Gametime as part of the AXS Anywhere ticketing distribution program that allow fans to buy tickets within partner apps. Approximately 35 percent of tickets are sold via mobile device, according to Blaine Legere, senior vice president of AXS Digital.
"We're putting our tickets in places where customers are spending time," Legere explains. "Each of these partners have their own distinct loyal followers that fit their own niche. Anytime we can put one of our partners in front of the right group, at the right price, there is an opportunity to bring someone to our venues for the first time."
The integration with Costco is the second for the company -- in 2016, Ticketmaster signed a distribution deal with the retail giant (and has integrations with Gametime and Groupon).
"They have an incredible database of loyal consumers who love the Costco brand and also go to live events," Legere says. "If I'm on Costco.com, I should know what events are taking place in my marketplace and if they're available to me I can purchase them and seamlessly transact."
Legere said AXS is "making all methods and options available" to Costco for ticket delivery. "Whether it's a digital ticket or a PDF to the purchaser," the integration will make ticket delivery seamless."
AXS' integrations allow customers to purchase and receive tickets within the partner apps and validates the tickets across all platforms. Promoters and box offices' staff can control where tickets appear and how they're priced. Groupon and Goldstar offer value-driven to their large database of millions of users, while Gametime uses targeting technology to offer last minute deals.
"It allows Millennials to buy quick, to buy last-minutes and have their entire experience within the Gametime App," Legere said.
The partnership opens up AXS to a network of Costco's 85 million customers worldwide and the millions of other individuals who utilize Goldstar, Gametime and Groupon. Despite the uptick, many are watching how Amazon plans to enter the market. The online retailer has opened ticketing operations in both the U.K. and the U.S. and is preparing to make a move later this year.
"We're all paying attention and watching what Amazon might do," Legere says.
