In a pioneering move, the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, renowned as the ‘Home of Cricket’ and one of the UK’s oldest sporting venues, transitioned to digital ticketing for General Admission attendees during the recent Men’s Ashes Test. This innovative initiative was made possible through the Lord’s mobile app, powered by AudienceView Spotlight.
The primary aim behind this digital transformation was to provide attendees with a more convenient and sustainable method of accessing their tickets, eliminating the challenges associated with traditional approaches. The move was warmly received by attendees, with the app boasting an impressive 4.6*/5 rating on the Apple App Store based on over 5,000 reviews.
Beyond convenience, Lord’s sought to leverage Spotlight’s ticket transfer feature to gather data from Ashes attendees beyond the primary ticket holder. This endeavor proved to be highly successful, with 25% of all tickets being shared with other attendees. This innovative functionality not only allowed the venue to expand its database but also establish communication channels that would have been otherwise unattainable without the Lord’s Spotlight app.
The benefits for Lord’s extended to enhanced ticket security. Given the prestigious stature of the Men’s Ashes Test as one of the world’s most prominent sporting events, fraudulent ticket activities are a concern. However, digital ticketing contributed to a notably lower incidence of fraudulent tickets compared to events with higher reliance on traditional paper tickets. This result underscores the advantages of digital ticketing, not only in bolstering ticket security but also in combating scalping and unauthorised ticket sales.
Jeff Wollen, Chief Information Officer of Marylebone Cricket Club, expressed his satisfaction with the swift implementation of digital ticketing, stating, “I’ve been very impressed with the outcomes achieved so quickly with our Lord’s App this season. We decided to have a major push on Digital Ticketing for this Ashes year as we wanted to improve our General Admission ticket purchasers’ experience of ground entry, ticket sharing and protection from fraudulent scams and touts.”
Mark Fowlie, CEO of AudienceView, added his perspective on the accomplishment, emphasising how Spotlight’s collaboration with Lord’s has showcased the transformative impact of digital ticketing on fan experiences. The success of this venture reflects AudienceView’s commitment to enhancing ticketing operations for esteemed venues like Lord’s.
Named AudienceView Spotlight, the mobile app platform has garnered adoption by industry giants like The O2, OVO Arena Wembley, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and many more. Spotlight is available both as a standalone product that can integrate with various ticketing systems and as part of the leading ticketing platform, AudienceView Unlimited.
