viagogo, Europe's leading secondary ticketing company, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced an agreement that will make viagogo the official secondary ticketing partner of 2007 NBA Europe Live Presented by EA SPORTS™ in London.
The partnership, which marks the first time that the NBA has had a secondary ticketing partner in Europe, allows viagogo to serve as the official secondary ticketing provider of the game at The O2 in London between the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves on October 10. viagogo will provide fans with a secure and guaranteed way to buy and exchange game tickets online. In addition, viagogo will auction off exclusive NBA Europe Live packages that will include tickets to the game and related events in London.
"The National Basketball Association is a huge draw for sports fans and we're excited to be working with them to bring the best of US basketball to the UK," said viagogo CEO Eric Baker. "viagogo is unique as it offers fans the only safe, secure and guaranteed way to see this sold out game, and this deal cements our leadership position as the best online ticketing destination for live events."
"There is a high level of excitement in the UK as we prepare to stage the first NBA event in the country since 1995," said Sophie Goldschmidt, Vice President, Marketing Partnerships and Business Development, NBA Europe. "With tickets to the game sold out it is a natural fit for us to partner with viagogo, the leading secondary ticketing company in Europe."
Working with the NBA extends viagogo's roster of key sports partnerships into top class basketball, having already established itself in football and rugby as the official secondary ticketing partner of Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Everton FC, Blackburn Rovers FC, Portsmouth FC, FC Bayern Munich, Heart of Midlothian FC and rugby clubs London Wasps and Leicester Tigers.
As part of 2007 NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™, four NBA teams travel to six European cities in four countries. Prior to traveling to London, the Timberwolves will hold training camp in Istanbul, Turkey and will be the first NBA team ever to play a game in that country on Oct. 6. The Celtics will hold training camp and play the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 6 in Rome, Italy before arriving in the UK. The Memphis Grizzlies will hold training camp in Malaga, Spain and will play a game against Euroleague Basketball´s Unicaja on Oct. 9 before traveling to Madrid to play a game against MMT Estudiantes on Oct. 11. The Raptors will conduct their training camp in Treviso, Italy, and play against Lottomatica Roma on Oct. 7 in Rome and Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid on Oct. 11 in Madrid.
To buy or sell tickets to the NBA Europe Live game at The O2 on 10 October, click on www.viagogo.co.uk/NBA. For more information on 2007 NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™ visit http://www.nba.com/europelive2007/
About viagogo
viagogo is an online secondary ticket exchange that allows people to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and secure environment. What that means is that viagogo facilitates and guarantees the exchange between someone who wants to sell and someone who wants to buy live event tickets. By managing payment and delivery we guarantee that buyers will receive their tickets and sellers will receive payment. For this service, viagogo takes a commission which is a percentage of each exchange.
viagogo was set up in August 2006 by the co-founder of StubHub.com, the leading online secondary ticketing company in the US that was acquired in March 2007 by eBay for $307m. Based on an already proven business model and adapted for the European market, viagogo is the first and leading business of its kind in Europe, bringing efficiency and transparency to what has traditionally been a murky marketplace. It is therefore the best place to buy and sell live event tickets in a secure and guaranteed way.
Since it launched, viagogo has developed a portfolio of partnership deals with world-leading UK and European sports teams, media companies and charities. It is the official secondary ticketing partner of football clubs Chelsea FC, Manchester United FC, Everton FC, Blackburn Rovers FC, Portsmouth FC, Heart of Midlothian FC and FC Bayern Munich, as well as Rugby Union clubs Leicester Tigers and London Wasps. Among other deals, viagogo has also signed partnerships with lastminute.com, Europe's leading independent online travel and leisure group, major global music company Warner Music International and charities Amnesty International, Music for Relief and Leonard Cheshire. viagogo is the online destination of choice for people seeking tickets for major live events of all kinds across Europe.
In August 2007, viagogo launched operations in the U.S. with an exclusive partnership with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. For more information, visit www.viagogo.com.
About The NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2006-07 season, the NBA distributed 45,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 85 international players on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA broadcasted 142 games on national television last season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2, and eclipsed attendance records for the fourth consecutive season.
NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a professional sports league, is distributed to 73 countries. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents; NBA.com gets more than half of its visitors from outside the United States.
NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have committed to donating $100 million to charity, providing a million hours of hands on service to the community and creating 250 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally-recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: UNICEF; the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. This season, NBA games will be televised in 215 countries in 41 different languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 85 international players on NBA rosters. As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA's most significant efforts occur off the court. This past year, the league launched its most ambitious community outreach endeavor, NBA Cares. Over a five-year span, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than one million hours of volunteer service to communities worldwide, and build more than 100 educational and athletic facilities where children can learn and play. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com.