The Miami Heat have changed the game where ticketing is concerned. Sports media talks about TV ratings, which markets are the largest, and which players are moving in the offseason. We never talk about how fans experience games. The gate revenues for every team are important, but they are often not addressed on this scale. The Miami Heat will likely force other teams to make similar moves. What are the advantages of a ticketing system such as this?
Why make a change?
The manual ticketing system that has been used throughout sports involves a paper ticket that is scanned or torn at the gate.
Dozens of workers are required at every sporting event simply to check tickets, and the tickets must be printed on paper that is routinely thrown away after the game. The Heat hope to make a fundamental change that reduces the number of employees required to take tickets, cuts down on paper use, and prevents confusion or loss of tickets. Those of us who use mobile devices every day (this article was written on a mobile device) will find the system beneficial, but others of us may not.
Who loses under the new system?
Employees of the arena may be let go if they were to take tickets at every game, and fans who enjoy keeping ticket stubs or framing their tickets will lose those beautiful hard copies.
The Heat fan who values the ticket purchasing experience will make an impersonal transaction online or at a kiosk, and a scanner will check their ticket when they enter the arena.
Who benefits from this system
Younger sports fan such as myself may prefer to make impromptu visits to the arena. I know several people who prefer to go to games because they have no other plans that night.
Miami is an event-oriented town, and the town will pour into the arena when it realizes the game is important. Coming to see LeBron James or Steph Curry upon noticing that game on the schedule can happen in an instant. Fans can purchase their tickets on their mobile devices, have the tickets emailed to them, and have them scanned at the arena.
That process will take no more than a few minutes, and they get 48 minutes of basketball as a result.
Customer experience matters
Mickey Alison owns the Miami Heat, and he owns Carnival Cruise Lines. He understands that the customer experience matters and the NBA are quick to become more modern with every passing season. They are spreading basketball around the world, and they are willing to give American customers an experience that the market requires. I would be happy to purchase my tickets in this manner, and it would be well worth it to see this team play.
