Major League Soccer (MLS) club Nashville SC has engaged sports and entertainment consulting firm Elevate Sports Ventures, and Ticketmaster, to support the ticketing strategy for its new stadium.
The deal announced today (Monday) will see Elevate and Ticketmaster lead the ticket and premium hospitality sales and strategy, along with marketing efforts, for the team’s 30,000-seat stadium at Nashville Fairgrounds, which will become the largest soccer-specific stadium in MLS upon its opening in 2022.
As the exclusive premium hospitality sales agency and ticketing provider for Nashville SC’s new stadium, Elevate and Ticketmaster will develop strategy, programming and amenities in addition to the stadium’s exclusive premium membership experience.
Elevate will additionally provide strategic business support to Nashville SC, including digital and direct marketing efforts, utilising the agency’s Insights platform, which launched back in September with NFL team the Denver Broncos one of the initial clients. The sales and marketing agency will hire a team based in Nashville to support the endeavour.
Nashville SC last week unveiled the first detailed look at its upcoming new stadium. The Tennessee-based club released a video that gave fans an internal and external virtual tour of the stadium, which comes with a reported cost of $335m (£259.6m/€287.9m).
Located in the Wedgewood-Houston neighbourhood, just two miles south of downtown, Nashville’s newest sports and entertainment venue will feature a dedicated supporters’ section with over 3,000 seats, dedicated access and a bar for The Backline members, as well as seven premium areas and 27 suites.
“It is of paramount importance to us that our fans get a first class experience not just in attending our new stadium, but in choosing where to sit and choosing what is the right experience for them,” said Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre.
“By utilising the latest technology resources, we will provide a seamless seat selection and purchasing process. Elevate are at the top of their game in this space and working with Ticketmaster, who is the leading ticketing organisation globally, provides our best possible chance of delivering a first-class solution for all our fans.”
Nashville SC becomes Elevate’s fourth MLS client, joining Sacramento FC, St. Louis City SC and Inter Miami CF. Expansion franchise St. Louis City SC appointed Elevate in September to help drive sponsorship, premium and ticket sales efforts ahead of its entry into the competition in 2023.
“The dynamic partnership between Nashville SC, Elevate and Ticketmaster constitutes the most effective approach to maximise our core competencies to drive revenue,” said Elevate Sports Ventures chief operating officer, Flavil Hampsten.
“With Ticketmaster providing the backbone of Nashville SC’s new stadium ticketing, and the activation of Elevate’s Insights platform, we are optimising our strongest assets to drive analytics-based business decision-making; ultimately providing optimal pricing, packaging and experiences for fans and premium clients.”
Clay Luter, executive vice-president of sports at Ticketmaster, added: “When the Nashville SC team kicks off the 2022 season, they will be equipped with the best ticketing in the world, with technology that elevates gameday for both the fan and the club.”
Image: Nashville SC
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