Here at CollegeAD, we often cover the different methods schools use to draw fans to their sporting events. Ploys like kid-friendly zones, outdoor stagings of traditionally-indoor events, and concerts or additional live entertainment have become the norm for many universities.
Mississippi State rolled-out an advancement in another way schools are trying to entice fans to its competitions. Digital ticketing, which is far from being exclusive to MSU or college sports, is an attractive way to connect with the millennial audience that is so valuable to both universities and retailers. Event tickets being sent to one’s smart phone, ordering tickets online rather than at the box office, and being able to upgrade seats even part way through a game are all ways that suppliers are trying to make ticketing more convenient, and thus, more alluring to fans.
MSU has taken this a step farther with its new BLITZ ticket package. Described by school officials as “the Netflix of tickets,” BLITZ will allow individuals to pay a flat monthly rate for the service, which delivers text messages to users’ cell phones, offering them opportunities for tickets to MSU sporting events. If a user wants the ticket, she simply responds with a “yes” and a ticket is sent to her phone. The cost of the ticket is included in the monthly fee, so the transaction is quick and streamlined.
Users can attend an unlimited number of events using BLITZ, with the hope being that including football and basketball will lure fans to less-attended competitions. In theory, if the money is already spent on the tickets in the form of the monthly fee and the ticket is sent directly to the user, there are fewer obstacles to supporting MSU’s smaller programs.
What sets MSU’s BLITZ package apart from other digital ticketing initiatives (like University of Kentucky’s Pocket Pass) is really this opportunity to impact other teams at the school. Whereas digital ticketing has improved getting specific tickets to various events, now this innovation could lead to interest and attendance for lesser-known teams. And, to make the event-going process even easier, BLITZ will alert the user for upcoming games, so keeping track of times and schedules for the myriad of Bulldog teams becomes a non-issue.
Whether the selling point of “Netflix for tickets” will bring about a strong first season of MSU’s BLITZ ticket package is still to be seen. However, by lumping access together and sending the tickets straight to the ticketholder, Mississippi State has removed excuses for its supporters and potentially helped expand not just its football and basketball audience, but viewership for all its sports.
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