SeatGeek rejects claims of secret World Cup ticket deal with Fifa
Ticket resale platform SeatGeek has vehemently denied allegations of a secret collusion agreement with Fifa to dump World Cup tickets on the secondary market ahead of this summer’s tournament.
Claims emerged after a Boston University professor spotted unusually large blocks of seats available for the upcoming global showpiece on the ticket exchange website.
Florian Ederer highlighted mass listings for the 26 June fixture between Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.
These bulk listings starkly contrasted with the standard single or paired seats traditionally seen on secondary ticketing platforms.
Claims of supply management rejected
The business academic suggested world football’s governing body might be secretly using third-party platforms to manage unsold inventory.
It was theorised that offloading seats at cheaper prices elsewhere would prevent refund demands from fans who paid full price on the official primary site.
“SeatGeek is a trusted marketplace that gives fans secure access to tickets across tens of thousands of live events, including the World Cup,” a spokesperson told the Press Association.
“We do not have a partnership or distribution agreement with Fifa.”
The international governing body has been approached for comment regarding the allegations.
Dynamic pricing backlash
This latest controversy arrives against a backdrop of intense fan frustration regarding tournament admission costs and the introduction of a dynamic pricing model.
Tournament organisers also operate an official internal resale portal which extracts a 15 per cent commission from both buyers and sellers.
President Gianni Infantino recently mounted a staunch defence of the controversial financial strategy during a conference in Beverly Hills.
“We have to look at the market – we are in the market in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates.”
The highly anticipated tournament begins in just over a week when co-hosts Mexico face South Africa on 11 June.
England begin their North American campaign against 2018 finalists Croatia in Dallas six days later.