Sports Illustrated unveils ‘Box Office’ – an NFT powered ticketing platform

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(Kitco News) – The rollout and integration of non-fungible token (NFT) technology by major companies continues as Sports Illustrated, the US-based sports magazine, has announced the launch of “Box Office by SI Tickets”, a self-service event management and primary ticket solution.

Box Office was developed and published by SI Tickets, a fan-first ticket site launched by Sports Illustrated in June 2021 that offers a secure, non-functional token-based ticket marketplace.

According to SI Tickets, Box Office is “the first global platform to combine a complete NFT ticketing solution for events of all sizes with the visibility and proximity of traditional, non-NFT tickets alongside the biggest in sports, concert and theater on SI Tickets- the marketplace.”

The new service was developed in collaboration with ConsenSys and operates on the Polygon layer-two network.

With the new platform, event owners, promoters and hosts will be able to create, manage and promote a fully scalable, paid or free ticketed live sporting event, performance or function on the trusted Sports Illustrated Tickets platform.

As part of the launch of Box Office, SI Tickets and ConsenSys have released “Super Ticket”, a NFT ticketing solution that “unlocks engagement opportunities between hosts and attendees before, during and after events” by offering collectibles, exclusive offers, loyalty benefits and more.

“From the moment we launched our global event marketplace, which now boasts 50 million tickets for over 250,000 sports, concerts and shows, we’ve been preparing to enter and disrupt the primary ticket market,” said David Lane, CEO, SI Tickets. “Blockchain is the future of ticketing, and now owners, promoters, hosts and attendees have access to an advanced ticketing experience that transforms the antiquated barcode into engaging and collectible content.”

To help attract ticketing partners, Box Office offers prices up to 50 percent lower than competing platforms and gives hosts and performers the opportunity to earn a share of resale revenue. For fans, every ticket they purchase earns credits towards any sports, concert or theater ticket at SITickets.com.

“The existing self-service event management sites have not evolved fast enough, as they can only list events and provide software to scan a barcode,” Lane said. “With Box Office, games, shows and conventions of all sizes can now achieve a superior and more cost-effective solution that includes unmatched visibility in a global marketplace, zero hardware costs, free credits for attendees and Sports Illustrated Tickets as their partner.”

At launch, SI Tickets will offer access to a wide variety of venues from youth football, basketball, hockey, cheer and dance competitions to fashion shows and live music bars. The platform has future plans to partner with a range of organizers and suppliers across sports, health and fitness, concerts, comedy and nightlife, industry functions and philanthropy.

“It’s exciting to see disruptive web3 technology gain traction through new use cases like NFT tickets,” said Johnna Powell, Global Co-head at ConsenSys NFT. “We believe the partnership with SI Tickets will make it easier for owners, promoters and facilitators to create a fan experience that reaches previously unseen levels of engagement.”