In a historic move, Lord’s Cricket Ground, renowned as the ‘Home of Cricket’ and one of the UK’s oldest sporting venues, embraced digital ticketing for General Admission attendees during the recently concluded Men’s Ashes Test. This technological transition was seamlessly executed through the Lord’s mobile app, empowered by AudienceView Spotlight.
The primary objective of Lord’s shift to digital ticketing was to provide attendees with a streamlined and sustainable method of accessing their tickets while eliminating the complexities of traditional approaches. The decision resonated well with attendees, evident from the app’s impressive 4.6-star rating out of 5 in the Apple App Store, garnered from over 5,000 reviews.
An additional focus for Lord’s was leveraging Spotlight’s innovative ticket transfer functionality, which enabled data gathering from Ashes attendees beyond the initial booker. This facet achieved notable success throughout the Test match, with 25% of all tickets shared with other attendees. This innovative feature not only expanded Lord’s database but also established communication channels that would have otherwise been inaccessible through traditional methods.
The advantages of digital ticketing extended to ticket security as well. As one of the most prestigious sporting events globally, the Men’s Ashes Test attracted significant demand, often resulting in the proliferation of fraudulent tickets in the secondary market. Remarkably, Lord’s reported a reduction in instances of fraudulent ticket presentation compared to events with high paper ticket usage. This achievement underscores the benefits of digital ticketing in enhancing ticket security and curbing the influence of scalpers and touts on fans.
Jeff Wollen, Chief Information Officer of Marylebone Cricket Club, expressed his contentment with the digital ticketing integration, stating, “Our Lord’s App has delivered impressive results this season. For the Ashes, we made a concerted effort to enhance the General Admission ticket purchasing experience by enabling smoother entry, facilitating ticket sharing, and safeguarding against fraud and unauthorised sales.”
Mark Fowlie, CEO of AudienceView, also shared his thoughts on the accomplishment, saying, “The collaboration between Spotlight and Lord’s Cricket Ground underscores the transformative potential of digital ticketing in elevating the fan experience. We take pride in leading the transformation of ticketing operations for iconic venues like Lord’s and anticipate the exciting prospects that lie ahead for digital ticketing.”
Named AudienceView Spotlight, this mobile app platform has gained adoption by industry giants like The O2, OVO Arena Wembley, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, among others. Spotlight is available as a standalone product and can integrate with various ticketing systems, or as an integral component of the AudienceView Unlimited ticketing platform.
