AXS is to launch what it describes as a "ground breaking" ticketing solution to take on scalpers and provide a fair route for resale.
Set to make its bow in the U.K. later this year, AXS Marketplace will enable fans to buy and sell tickets through the same platform and cap prices at no more than 10 percent above the face value. The platform will also incorporate built in controls that allow artists and promoters to manage restrictions on the resale of tickets.
The paperless system will deliver individually assigned tickets direct to consumers via a 'Flash Seats' mobile app, which uses a dynamically changing barcode system to ensure that tickets cannot be copied or shared illegally.
London's The O2 arena and The SSE Arena, Wembley are the first venues to partner with the AXS Marketplace ahead of a wider European rollout. AXS claims that it is the only ticketing solution that allows fans to buy and then resell through the same platform and marks "a distinct shift in the live entertainment industry."
The O2's former resale partner, StubHub has confirmed that its partnership with the venue has ended after five years together.
"In this time, we have enjoyed a successful partnership with AEG in the UK. As we part ways, we welcome the increased competition, which AEG's marketplace will bring to consumers and the industry at large," said a spokesperson for StubHub.
Los Angeles-headquartered AXS, which is part owned by AEG, says it will additionally open up its Flash Seats technology to competing ticketing providers at its partner venues to ensure a comprehensive response to tackle touting.
"There has been a noticeable shift in the industry recently and more of our artists and promoters want a better solution to ensure fans get an authentic ticket at a fair price," says AEG Europe chief executive and president Tom Miserendino in a statement.
He goes on to say that AEG has "listened and responded" to the live industry's concerns and has delivered a "ground-breaking solution" that "is fairer for fans, eliminates counterfeiting, combats touting and allows us to have a complete view of everyone at the event."
AXS CEO Bryan Perez said the ticketing company had "looked long and hard at our European market and some of the ongoing issues around the equitable resale and purchasing of tickets." He called AXS Marketplace "a conscious decision to introduce technology that will enable both artists and fans to regain control of the ticketing process."
"We know that fans, artists and their representatives have been looking for a solution to these issues for a long time and we believe AXS Marketplace with Flash Seats mobile delivery will be a real game-changer," added Robert Byrne, managing director of AXS Europe.
Welcoming the platform's forthcoming launch, which is expected in quarter four, FanFair Alliance campaign manager Adam Webb said AXS Marketplace represented a significant development in the "seemingly unstoppable trend towards services that offer consumer-friendly resale."
