- Viagogo
Infobox_Company
company_name = viagogo
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = "The online ticket exchange"
foundation =London , UK (2005 )
location =London , UK
key_people = Eric Baker,Founder &CEO
industry =e-commerce
products = online secondary ticketing, online ticket exchange
homepage = [http://www.viagogo.com] |viagogo is an online ticket exchange aimed at the
Europe an andNorth America n market. It aims to allow people to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and guaranteed way, and to bring "efficiency and transparency to what has traditionally been a murky market place".cite news | first =Simon | last = Bowers | title =Fans condemn 'legalised touting' of season tickets | url =http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1852657,00.html | work =The Guardian | publisher =Guardian Newspapers Limited | date =18 August 2006| accessdate =2006-08-20 ] It allows live event tickets to be bought and sold at any price, including above and below face value, and allows anyone to use the marketplace as long as they follow the rules. It charges buyers a 10% fee and sellers a 15% fee on each confirmed transaction.The company was founded by Eric Baker, the co-founder of
Stubhub in the United Statescite news | first =Eric | last =Auchard | title =European sports ticket reseller Web site unveiled
url =http://today.reuters.com/misc/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=companyNews&storyID=42893+18-Aug-2006+RTRS | work = | publisher =Reuters | date =17 August 2006| accessdate =2006-08-20] . Eric wrote the business model for StubHub while in business school at StanfordFact|date=February 2007, but left StubHub in 2004 due to a falling out with his co-foundercite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B9A04047A%2D4A61%2D4450%2D9710%2D55AAA8AE3B8A%7D&dist=rss&siteid=mktwdist%3Drss&siteid=mktw |title=Online ticket scalping comes to Europe |accessmonthday=20 August |accessyear=2006 |last=Charny |first=Ben |date=17 August 2006 |work= Marketwatch from Dow Jones|publisher=MarketWatch, Inc] . Eric then decided to take the now-proven business model to Europe and founded viagogo to accomplish this.viagogo was launched in late summer 2006 with partnerships with
Chelsea FC andManchester United , [cite news | author =The Times | title =Football ticket resales kick off | url =http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article612489.ece | work =The Times | publisher = Times Newspapers Ltd| date =18 August 2006 | accessdate = 2006-08-20 ] [cite news | first =Mark | last =Sweney | title =Clubs launch ticket resale site | url =http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1852563,00.html | work =The Guardian | publisher = Guardian Newspapers Limited| date =18 August 2006 | accessdate =2006-08-20] [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2006/08/18/180806_football_touts_feature.shtml |title=Tackling the touts |accessmonthday=20 August |accessyear=2006 |date=18 August 2006 |format= |work=bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC Manchester ] [ cite web|url=http://www.itn.co.uk/news/sport_cf8459c0884a1ebbdb92621d98f9e1ae.html |title=Ticket exchange: clubs target touts
accessmonthday=20 August |accessyear=2006 |date=18 August 2006 |work= ITN News ] the first such deals of their kind in Europe.Fact|date=February 2007 These deals let season ticket holders sell tickets to matches they cannot attend to other club members, ensuring that the tickets do not go to waste, that other fans get to go, and that the stadium stays full. In return, the clubs will receive yearly six-figure sums from viagogo. Despite the fact that similar football tickets often sell illegally for a much higher premium, some fans have claimed the fees charged by the site are "disgusting" and "legalised touting". On thePortsmouth F.C. Viagogo exchange, the charge to the buyer is 20% on top of the selling price as well as any applicable delivery cost and VAT charges. cite web|url=http://portsmouth.viagogo.co.uk/help.aspx?helpgroupid=468&Mode=2 |title=Buy and Sell FAQUnder British law, unauthorized re-selling of Premier League and other football tickets is illegal, a restriction introduced by the Government to prevent
hooligan ism. By working with the clubs to obtain official authorization, viagogo is permitted to resell tickets to the clubs it works with, thus effectively giving viagogo a government-protected monopoly by being the only place where tickets to those clubs can be legally resold. Critics have suggested that this is legalised exploitation by the Football Clubs.Since then, viagogo has announced partnerships with several other leading sports properties, including English football club
Everton FC cite web|url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/161190/viagogo-signs-up-fc-bayern-munich-and-everton-fc |title=viagogo signs up FC Bayern Munich and Everton FC |accessmonthday=21 February |accessyear=2007 |date=30 January 2007 |work= sportsbusiness.com ] and rugby clubsLeicester Tigers cite web|url=http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/161263/viagogo-expands-into-english-rugby |title=viagogo expands into English rugby |accessmonthday=21 February |accessyear=2007 |date=2 February 2007 |work= sportsbusiness.com ] andLondon Wasps , as well as Germany's leading football clubFC Bayern München . viagogo has also since announced partnerships withWarner Music [ cite web|url=http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=allBreakingNews&storyID=2007-05-09T084022Z_01_L09607402_RTRIDST_0_WARNER-VIAGOGO-UPDATE-1.XML |title=Warner signs secondary ticket deal with Viagogo
accessmonthday=15 May |accessyear=2007 |date=9 May 2007 |work=Reuters] (the first time a major music label has partnered with a secondary ticketing company),Peter Gabriel [ cite web|url=http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=180730&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232315&home=yes&more_nodeId1=163047&contentPK=17878400
title=Elders Gather to Save Global Village|accessmonthday=7 August |accessyear=2007 |date=20 July 2007 |work=thisisbath.co.uk] (the first time a major artist has partnered with a secondary ticketing company),lastminute.com [ cite web|url=http://www.nma.co.uk/Logon/ResourceBarrier.aspx?RequiredServices=17,|&PipelinedPage=/Articles/32852/Lastminute+extends+offer+with+sports+tickets+.html&PipelinedQueryString=liArticleID%3d32852#ContentContinues |title=lastminute extends offer with sports tickets|accessmonthday=19 April |accessyear=2007 |date=19 April 2007 |work=NMA] , andAmnesty International [ cite web|url=https://alumni.mckinsey.com/alumni/default/public/content/jsp/alumni_news/20070308_EricBakerWhosNews.jsp |title=Eric Baker scores big with his online ticket exchange|accessmonthday=8 March |accessyear=2007 |date=8 March 2007 |work=McKinsey News] .On August 6, 2007, viagogo announced its expansion into North America with an exclusive partnership with the
Cleveland Browns , anAmerican football team [ cite web|url=http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/08/07/viagogo-stubhub-tickets-biz-cx_tvr_0807ticket.html |title=Ticket Taker|accessmonthday=7 August |accessyear=2007 |date=7 August 2007 |work=Forbes] .viagogo is backed by
Index Ventures , who has also backed other ecommerce companies such asSkype ,Betfair , andMySQL .External links
* [http://www.viagogo.com viagogo ticket exchange]
* [http://www.viagogo.co.uk viagogo UK ticket exchange]
* [http://www.viagogo.de viagogo DE ticket exchange]References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.