[Updated] UFC Selects Ticketmaster As Its Preferred Event Ticket Reseller

The UFC has selected Ticketmaster as their preferred event ticket resale outlet.  This move aligns the UFC with other Ticketmaster partners, the NFL and NBA.  

According to Sports Business Journal, the deal enables fans who purchase their initial tickets through Ticketmaster to resell them by cancelling and reissuing bar codes. This offers a seamless transfer that Ticketmaster hopes will cut into the sizeable market advantage held by StubHub. 

Ticketmaster is not always the UFC’s primary vendor, so the  resale barcode transfers will not be available for all events.  StubHub will remain a major player in the secondary ticket market but this move may signal the end of the UFC sponsorship phase of the relationship.  

The new partnership is non-exclusive and seems to be another tool for the UFC fans to legally sell their tickets.   It remains to be seen if the new relationship with Ticketmaster will affect the sponsorship deal with StubHub.

Ticketmaster has not always been viewed as a fan favorite.  A few top celebrities have boycotted Ticketmaster and recently the Target Center in Minneapolis replaced Ticketmaster with a in-house ticketing system for all non-sporting events.  

For more information on the new service visit the UFC’s Official Resale Marketplace, Ultimate Fighting Championship Resale Marketplace.

[Update] After speaking with executives at StubHub we can confirm that they are no longer sponsoring UFC events.  They remain committed too servicing the fans and will continue to be involved with some athletes and events on a case by canse basis.