StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, today revealed its second annual Year In Live Events report, which found that consumers, globally, are spending more than ever on live event experiences in a year marked by firsts, lasts and historic milestone events. The top-10 selling events of the year in the U.S. on StubHub were sports events, led by Super Bowl 50, which outsold last year’s Super Bowl by 7%, and the World Series, which was the highest-selling World Series ever on StubHub. Adele led all the music acts with the #1-selling tour spot and the runaway Broadway hit, Hamilton: An American Musical, drove at least four times the sales of any other theater production in company history. International NFL games and fútbol matches led as the top five international events with the highest sales from U.S. ticket buyers.
“At StubHub, we are driven by one purpose: to connect people to inspiring event experiences,” said Scott Cutler, president of StubHub. “2016 has been a remarkable year, underscored by once-in-a-lifetime events that have demonstrated our customers’ innate desire to make life’s richest memories happen live at sports, concerts and performing arts events. As these experiences play an increasingly meaningful role in our lives, StubHub is committed to leading in innovation, premium products and partnerships to make access to a life rich in live experiences easier than ever.”
- According to a survey of international consumers, globally, consumers have increased spend on live events by 8% in the last year.
- Additional StubHub consumer insights and sales trends show that the event-going experience is becoming increasingly connected by mobile, driven by social connections and an influencer of travel plans.
- Around the world, StubHub reports that mobile usage to purchase tickets is up, and users who switch from desktop to buying in the StubHub app tend to buy more tickets and spend more money.
- Regardless of region, buyers are willing to travel more than two hours to a live event of their choice, with buyers in Italy having the highest tendency to travel for events, buyers in the UK spending the most money on international events and Spanish buyers proving to be the most socially oriented, with the highest tendency to buy in advance and attend events in groups.
Across all live events, the past year has been highlighted by milestone and historic events that are unrivaled in years past, including Super Bowl 50, which was also the last game played by Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant’s final home game, championship appearances for Cleveland in basketball and baseball, UFC taking its first match to New York City, the Cubs’ historic showing and win in the World Series, Desert Trip’s first year, a popular COPA America, and the Broadway phenomenon of Hamilton: An American Musical. A recent third-party survey, commissioned by StubHub, shows that events like these are driving fans’ happiness, with 88% of respondents saying live events make them happy and named their first concert as their best memory over first kiss and first job.