NASCAR tickets are always in high demand, with fans flocking to the tracks to feel the adrenaline up close. Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the hottest spots, packing in a jaw-dropping 146,000 fans—no small feat for the shortest track on the NASCAR calendar!
Ticket sales are a crucial revenue stream for NASCAR, and the organization has been expanding its partnerships to keep up with the demand. After years with Tickets.com, they introduced SeatGeek as a secondary marketplace in 2022. But the recent addition of Ticketmaster to the mix has sparked a stir among fans. The announcement raised concerns about potential price hikes, with many worried that the convenience of the new solution might come at a hefty cost.
NASCAR has named Ticketmaster its official ticketing partner, beginning with the 2025 season, unifying ticketing for NASCAR events. This means that the other two solutions will be out of the picture and it will be in with the new. Ticketmaster was chosen after a thorough Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
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According to NASCAR, the partnership will simplify ticket purchasing while offering ticket discovery. It will also manage NASCAR tickets via TikTok, Snapchat, and the NASCAR Tracks App. In addition to working platforms, the app will fully integrate with Ticketmaster Ignite, providing features like SafeTix entry, native ticket discovery, and seamless ticket management. These features are tailored specifically for NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports events.
Also, Ticketmaster’s partnership with Speedway Motorsports will continue, supporting ticketing efficiency and security for fans attending those events. Tickets for 2024 Speedway Motorsports events and select 2025 NASCAR races are available now, with more NASCAR-owned event tickets going on sale by the end of 2024. However, this news did not please fans as much as it had them on their toes.
.@NASCAR Holdings is switching ticketing partners to @LiveNation Entertainment’s @Ticketmaster starting next year, part of a move to get the racing circuit’s event operators onto the same platform to make the fan experience easier. https://t.co/Z6AwZsj6sI
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) September 26, 2024
Many fans started to worry that the 2025 ticket prices will be higher because of the new platform. When the news surfaced on X, some of the fans took to the comments section to share their worries.
What’s your perspective on:
Is NASCAR's partnership with Ticketmaster a game-changer for fan experience or just another corporate gimmick?
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Fans joked about a potential price change for 2025 races
One fan looked at the new ticketing partners as the death of NASCAR. “The death of nascar. Blame @stevephelps.” There is a possibility that NASCAR tickets might get costlier after the partner changes, and this fan believes that more expensive tickets will be the downfall of the sport. The fan put the downfall of the sport on NASCAR’s President Steve Phelps, who has been running the whole show since 2018.
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This fan was not too stoked about the news as he said, “That’s a shame; I can’t wait for the fee’s that will come.” Some are expecting the worst from the new ticketing platform as they put out a sarcastic comment. For now, a Daytona 500 ticket package easily costs around $159 for a person, while the highest a ticket can go is $7,954.
Another fan joined the sarcasm train as they made a comment saying, “Yay!! More fees!!!” Most fans expect the change of platforms to bring in a rise in the price in 2025.
The joke continues as more fans add their funny twist to the announcement. This fan referenced a popular line used at fast-food joints saying, “Would you like some fees with your fees? Ok. That’s going to be an additional fee.”
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They are sarcastically commenting on how Ticketmaster’s promised ease of use won’t matter if fans are forced to pay exorbitant fees. By pointing out that a $60 ticket could cost an additional $40 in fees, they also jumped on the bandwagon of new ticket machine jokes. Their comment read, “I’m sure fans will love how easy it is to pay $40 in fees for a $60 ticket.”
What do you think of the new ticketing partnership?
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Debate
Is NASCAR's partnership with Ticketmaster a game-changer for fan experience or just another corporate gimmick?