United Announce Multi-Year Deal With Ticketmaster As Official Ticketing Partner

A D.C. United partner since 1996, Ticketmaster was selected to continue providing fans with the safety and convenience of verified primary tickets with an added resale ticketing service for 17 home games a year at Audi Field. The expansion of the ticketing leader's open platform to access key marketing and performance data was one of the key deciding factors for United to extend the contract with Ticketmaster long-term.

"We chose Ticketmaster after an extensive evaluation and recognized them to be the best strategic partner to address our current and future ticketing and technology needs," Mike Schoenbrun, United chief revenue officer, said. "With momentum building ahead of the first match at Audi Field next year, we know that Ticketmaster will provide the best technology available in the industry plus extensive marketing data and analytics that will enhance our fans' experiences even further in a state-of-the-art venue."

Beyond the integrated primary and secondary ticketing platform, Ticketmaster will be providing a robust suite of products for D.C. United to meet the team's vision to provide the best in-game experience for fans, including Ticketmaster's cutting-edge technology to enhance CRM lead strategy, campaign tracking and analysis while boosting engagement on digital campaigns.

Ticketmaster will leverage its own data enhancing services, LiveAnalytics, to help D.C. United better understand and strengthen their engagement with season ticket members and single-game fans.

"We've been fortunate to work with a leading MLS team like D.C. United for over 20 years, and their fans know they can rely on Ticketmaster as a safe and reliable place for verified tickets," Jared Smith, President of Ticketmaster North America, said. "With Audi Field opening in 2018, it's an exciting time to expand our partnership even further by leveraging our open platform and new mobile products to build a seamless experience that United fans can enjoy from the moment they search for tickets up to game day."

Audi Field, the new soccer-specific home of D.C. United, is set to open in Southwest D.C. in 2018. The state-of-the-art facility has a capacity for 20,000 fans with 31 luxury suites, and will host the Black-and-Red as well as a variety of other sporting and cultural events, community activities, and concerts. United officially broke ground on the new venue on Monday, Feb. 27, and recently announced a new hospitality partnership with Levy in conjunction with famed D.C. chef José Andrés to oversee all food and beverage experiences at Audi Field.

About Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster is the global market leader in live event ticketing, digital marketing, and mobile fan engagement tools that drive over 480 million ticket transactions per year. Through exclusive partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports leagues, and arts and theater tours, Ticketmaster delivers unparalleled access to the most iconic live events to millions of fans worldwide. Ticketmaster is a division of Live Nation Entertainment, the world's leading live entertainment company.

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One of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer in 1996, D.C. United are the most decorated team in the United States, with 13 domestic and international trophies. The Black-and-Red have won the MLS Cup four times (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004), the Supporters' Shield four times (1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007) and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times (1996, 2008 and 2013).

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SOURCE D.C. United