Gametime United: Mobile-First Event Ticketing Platform
Selling mobile users last-minute tickets to the most popular events
Alumni Ventures portfolio company Gametime United is a growing force for change in the online ticketing market while addressing common pain points within the space. The company’s ticketing platform for mobile users sells a wide array of tickets up to the last-minute to the most popular sports, music, and theater events in cities across the U.S. and Canada. By building a marketplace with a superior user interface and experience, Gametime has effectively competed with large incumbents such as Ticketmaster and StubHub in the $52 billion ticketing market.
Coming Out on Top
Unsurprisingly, the entire space struggled during the beginning of COVID-19 when live events were at a halt. However, the company’s ability to persevere in a time of heavy market uncertainty proved its resilience and potential for long-term success.
Despite the hurdles, Gametime has gained tremendous momentum in the live event ticketing space, having acquired a loyal following among younger demographics in particular. The company has an NPS of 62 (vs. 4 for the market leader) and a 4.7 average app rating. As of today, with an award-winning mobile platform and 26.8 million user accounts, Gametime has established itself as a significant player in the mobile ticketing space.
Serving an Unmet Need
Current platforms are web-first instead of mobile-first, resulting in a cumbersome, time-consuming process to purchase tickets. In contrast, Gametime leans in on the mobile experience, with a checkout process that takes 30 seconds on average and offers a more engaging user experience. As a result, the company has achieved strong traction, especially among younger users.
Like any two-sided marketplace, Gametime must attract buyers and sellers of tickets to its platform to succeed. Gametime serves professional sports teams, large resellers, and individuals looking to sell their tickets. It’s a particularly appealing platform for teams since many are trying to find strategies to drive engagement with a younger audience.
Impressive Investor Syndicate and How We Are Involved
Gametime is backed by an impressive investor syndicate, including Accel and Google Ventures. Midas List investor Andrew Braccia of Accel serves on the company’s board. In addition, lead investor Nimble Ventures has backed over 100 companies with successful exits — from Docusign to Palantir, 23andMe, and Grab.
Blue Ivy Ventures (for the Yale community) sponsored Alumni Ventures’ investment in Gametime’s $30 million Series C led by Nimble. Sibling fund Westwood Ventures (for the UCLA community) also participated in the round.
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