HMV and Seatwave open box office for fan-to-fan ticket exchange

HMV partners with Seatwave to launch in-store box office and online fan-to-fan ticket exchange

LONDON: 23 October 2009 - Seatwave, Europe's leading fan-to-fan ticket exchange (1.5 million unique visitors, comScore July 2009) today announced a comprehensive partnership with retail giant HMV. The collaboration will allow both parties to offer the most innovative solutions to meet the ever-expanding needs of music fans.

 

Through the partnership, Seatwave customers will be able to collect tickets at an HMV store  right up to the start of an event, bringing  the ticket exchange onto the high street for the first time. The ticket collection service at HMV, operating independently of all primary ticket sales through hmvtickets, marks Seatwave's commitment to getting tickets to fans in the manner of their choosing. The company now offers a wide spectrum of fulfillment methods from UPS to, the latest, collection in person, with e-delivery in the pipeline for 2010.

 

The partnership will also see Seatwave power a separate online ticket exchange for HMV where fans will be able to buy and sell tickets from one another securely. The exchange complements the current hmvtickets proposition by offering customers all the choice and flexibility of a safe and transparent ticket exchange.

 

Commenting on the partnership, Joe Cohen, Founder and CEO of Seatwave, said: "HMV is clearly the most innovative entertainment retailer in the market and we're honored and excited to work with them to expand both of our businesses. It represents a significant step forward for the future of live entertainment as we work with a fellow consumer-champion to provide a seamless, integrated and secure process for fans.  We also see a great future in being able to offer fans gig tickets, band merchandise and recorded music in one package."

 

Simon Fox, Group CEO, HMV, added: "Our partnership with Seatwave enables us to extend ticketing choice and convenience to HMV customers online and in stores. Combined with our growing presence in live music and now cinema, our ticketing offer is a further example of how the HMV brand is capable of successfully delivering to our customers an exciting range of entertainment experiences."

 

This latest Seatwave partnership follows a string of high-profile collaborations recently announced by the leading ticket exchange, including MTV, Bauer and ESPN.