Lancashire Cricket Claims To Be First UK Sports Organisation To Activate Blockchain Secure Ticketing
January 24, 2020
Lancashire Cricket is leading the way in ticketing technology after becoming the first organisation in the UK, in any industry, to activate blockchain secure mobile tickets for all domestic and international fixtures at Emirates Old Trafford in 2020.
The Club will be using TIXnGO, a new blockchain mobile tickets platform, after successful trials took place during the 2019 season. The benefits of blockchain mobile tickets will be numerous for Lancashire Cricket as it will this ensure that genuine supporters are more likely to get tickets. It also eliminates the possibility of fake tickets, which will give Lancashire Cricket greater control over who gains access to Emirates Old Trafford for domestic and international fixtures.
Furthermore, the Club has also introduced a number of different ticketing technology initiatives over the past 12 months to enhance the overall Member and supporter experience. They include an official new resale platform and offering the use of PACIFA technology which shows supporters a 3D view from their seats before purchasing International and Vitality Blast tickets at Emirates Old Trafford.
The resale platform, which went live during the summer of 2019, has been jointly developed alongside Lancashire’s Ticketing Service Provider, SecuTix, and provides supporters a simple, user-friendly system to sell unwanted tickets up to face value throughout the season.
The Lancashire website also now features a 3D virtual stadium, providing ticket buyers with a high-quality panoramic view of Emirates Old Trafford and a view expected from each seat ensuring that they are able to choose the best seat possible from which to watch the Red Rose and England. The technology has now been used across the whole of Emirates Old Trafford, and features hospitality suites and hotel boxes including the award-winning Point.
Lancashire’s Head of Ticketing and Digital Systems, Jonathon Nuttall, said: “I’m delighted that the Club has become the first organisation to use the new blockchain secure mobile tickets technology, as well introducing and developing a number of further enhancements to our ticketing operation at Emirates Old Trafford.
“During the 2019 season, over 80 per cent of tickets bought at Emirates Old Trafford have been made online, compared to less than 50 per cent in 2018 so it’s vitally important that we continue to improve the digital ticking technologies to ensure we make things as easy, and as enjoyable, as possible for those supporters booking with us.
“We’ve been working with SecuTix for nearly 18 months now and they are a developer who commit to the ticket buyer in a continual pursuit of delivering an amazing customer journey making ticket purchase a key part of the main event. We’re excited to continue developing our ticketing technologies alongside an organisation that shares our values regarding customer experience.”
Lancashire Cricket’s move to SecuTix, which was announced in March 2018, focused on ensuring that the Club’s ticketing system was capable of maximising the growth in mobile transactions and usability, whilst maintaining a robust and customer focused offering for its traditional supporter.
David Hornby, UK MD of SecuTix, commented: “Blockchain technology addresses many of the ticketing issues that both sports organisations and fans alike face. TIXnGO creates a unique, encrypted ticket for smartphones that is completely traceable, removes the risk of counterfeit tickets and simplifies the process of transferring or reselling tickets for the customer. It easily plugs into Lancashire’s existing ticketing system to give fans a better and more secure digital mobile tickets experience.”
