Ticket sellers' market
YOU'LL PROBABLY be reading in the next couple of weeks about Ticketmaster getting a front-row seat as the official ticket reseller for the NFL and NHL. Both deals will run at least 5 years, and could annually net as much as $20 million for the NFL and $5 million for the NHL.
YOU'LL PROBABLY be reading in the next couple of weeks about Ticketmaster getting a front-row seat as the official ticket reseller for the NFL and NHL. Both deals will run at least 5 years, and could annually net as much as $20 million for the NFL and $5 million for the NHL.
What does it mean to you in terms of buying or selling your tickets? Not a whole lot, frankly. Nor should the recent deal that Major League Baseball signed with StubHub, which reportedly is paying MLB $10 million for the rights to cozy up.
You'll still be able to choose your favorite site to buy or sell tickets, although more and more team sites will link to the league's official secondary ticket provider. Ticketmaster already has a contract with 17 NFL teams. StubHub spokesman Sean Pate noted that his firm "currently holds secondary rights with eight NFL teams, including the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins, and will continue those relationships until the contracts expire." The Eagles, as you might recall, are paired up with RazorGator.
What's brewing in New England - and not the beat of the perfect season that the Patriots are marching to - could have far more impact. A court order recently forced StubHub to hand over its list of buyers and sellers of Patriots tickets over the last 5 years to the team. It's how that other shoe drops that could shake the ground nationally.
A few cheers for the holiday givers
* Phantoms players are making handprints (except for Riley Cote, who did a knucklesprint) on
11 by 17 cards and auctioning them off at Sunday's game. Money will go to Children's Miracle Network at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
* Temple's student-athletes are donating toys and money to the Women Against Abuse (WAA) Emergency Shelter.
* Help Kick Hunger is a Sons of Ben cash and canned food drive for the Bernadine Center on 9th Street in Chester. Go to sonsofben.com for more. Cash donations must be made by today. *
- Paul Vigna
Panel comments on Phils' uniforms at go.philly.com/unis
Join the panel? Send e-mail to vignap@phillynews.com