News

Company Partly Owned by NFL Owners Purchases Large Ticket Firm

By Darren Rovell
ESPN

On Location Experiences, a ticket and hospitality company formed primarily to offer premium experiences to the Super Bowl, has acquired premium sports ticket business PrimeSport from private equity firm Carlyle Group for an undisclosed sum.

A source with knowledge of the business said the two businesses combined bring will bring in revenue of $550 million this year.

The deal allows On Location to use its robust sales and marketing force to sell what was PrimeSport’s massive inventory, which notably includes a large Super Bowl presence through deals with individual teams, Masters badges, the US Open (tennis) and the NCAA Tournament.

“PrimeSport was the biggest shark in the water,” said On Location CEO John Collins. “They have the inventory to the best events. As rightsholders, we know what it takes to create a better experience. Together, we are a formidable pairing.”

With the deal, one could see On Location selling premium packages across sports and years. A corporate customer based in Minnesota, for example, might be able to buy prime Super Bowl tickets when the game is in town this year and purchase experiences for when the Final Four is played there a year later.

NFL owners own 20 percent of On Location.

Last year, On Location paid an up front fee of $55 million to the NFL for the rights to get 5,000 Super Bowl tickets a year for the next nine title games.

The company offered on-field postgame access to fans at last year’s Super Bowl for a price. A lower bowl ticket, with a tailgate party, and the guarantee of being on the field after the game ended cost $12,749 a ticket.

Original article: http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21746678/company-partly-owned-nfl-owners-purchases-large-ticket-firm