For years, Speedway Motorsports, which operates ten NASCAR Cup Series venues, has had a strong partnership with Ticketmaster.
This new deal extends the relationship to include all NASCAR-owned tracks, creating a unified ticketing platform for fans. Kari Gritton, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Consumer Strategy, expressed the reasoning behind the partnership via TobyChristie.com:
“We chose Ticketmaster as our new ticketing solution because of their advanced capabilities, deep industry insights, and proven track record in sports ticketing.
“Their expertise will be key in consolidating all NASCAR-owned race events onto one accessible platform, improving our overall operations.”
Marla Ostroff, Ticketmaster’s Managing Director for North America, also shared her enthusiasm:
“NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports are committed to building a frictionless fan experience, and we are the right partner to help make that happen,” Ostroff remarked.
The partnership will leverage Ticketmaster’s state-of-the-art technology, giving NASCAR fans a more seamless and user-friendly purchasing process.
One significant upgrade is the integration of Ticketmaster Ignite with the NASCAR Tracks App, allowing fans to manage their tickets on their smartphones. Tools like SafeTix and Smart Queue will improve the overall ticketing process, providing a tailored experience for NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports events.
Kevin Camper, Speedway Motorsports’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, reflected on the benefits of their long-term partnership with Ticketmaster:
“Our longstanding relationship with Ticketmaster has provided consistency and efficiency in the purchasing process, along with operational excellence on race day,” Camper said.
In addition to technological improvements, social media will play a key role in the new strategy. Through Ticketmaster’s distribution network, fans will be able to discover upcoming NASCAR events on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, expanding marketing opportunities.
Historically, NASCAR has partnered with various ticketing providers, including Tickets.com and SeatGeek. This shift to Ticketmaster represents a move toward a more unified and advanced approach, designed to meet the needs of today’s fans, particularly younger audiences.
This partnership comes as Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and Ticketmaster LLC face legal challenges. A recent antitrust lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department and 40 state attorneys general, accuses the company of monopolistic practices. U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated:
“We allege that Live Nation uses unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to maintain monopolistic control over the live events industry in the U.S., harming fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venues.
“The result is higher fees for fans, fewer opportunities for artists, and reduced competition for smaller promoters and venues. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster.”
Live Nation-Ticketmaster has denied these claims, calling them “baseless.”
Formula 1 has implemented similar innovations, with tracks like Silverstone adopting adaptive pricing based on demand. This has sparked backlash from fans upset about rising ticket costs compared to previous years.
For now, NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports are not directly tied to Live Nation, shielding this new Ticketmaster partnership from the legal issues for the time being.
