- December 19, 2024
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
Ahead of Everton’s move to the 52,888-capacity Everton Stadium, the club is elevating the fan experience with Ticketmaster’s Virtual Venue; a state-of-the-art 3D view that offers an immersive preview of every seat.
This innovative tool gives fans an unparalleled ‘view’ of their future seats, helping them transition seamlessly from Goodison Park to their new waterfront home at Bramley-Moore Dock.
The Virtual Venue platform offers an immersive 360-degree perspective of the stadium, enabling fans to compare seating options and choose the section that best suits their preferences. This innovative tool simplifies the decision-making process, giving Evertonians a clear vision of their matchday experience before setting foot in the stadium.
Season Ticket sales for Everton Stadium begin in January 2025, when the platform is set to receive a significant upgrade to introduce views from every seat in the stadium. This enhancement will provide an even more personalised experience, allowing supporters to pick their perfect spot with ease and confidence.
Vicky Jaycock, Head of Premium Sales – New Stadium, Everton, joined the “Building Blocks: Optimising New Builds & Renovations” panel session at the 2024 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition. Click on the link to watch the panel session recording.
SVB LIVE events focus on elevating the live experience through Architecture & Design, Customer Journey, Fan & Premium/VIP Experience, Hospitality, Interiors & Fit-Out, Sustainability, Technology, and Venue Commercialisation. The first Networking Event of 2025 is taking place at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin, Ireland, on January 23rd; book your ticket here.
Chris Gratton, Managing Director of Ticketmaster Sport, said:
With Virtual Venue, Everton fans can experience their new home before setting foot in it. This cutting-edge platform underscores our commitment to enhancing the fan journey through innovative technology as Everton embarks on this exciting chapter.
Lee Newman, Senior Ticketing Manager at Everton, added:
As we prepare to transition to our new home at Everton Stadium, we’re committed to ensuring that every Evertonian feels connected, informed, and excited about this monumental step in our club’s history.
Virtual Venue is more than just a tool; it’s an invitation to explore and envision your matchday experience in our state-of-the-art stadium. This innovative platform reflects our dedication to putting fans at the heart of everything we do, making sure that your journey from Goodison Park to Everton Stadium is as seamless and special as it should be.
Newman continued:
Together, we will make this move not just a change of venue, but the start of an incredible new chapter for our club and our supporters. I’d like to thank the team at Ticketmaster for their extensive knowledge and support in being able to launch Virtual Venue to all Evertonians.
Since its initial launch at Yankee Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, Virtual Venue has been adopted by more than 300 teams and venues worldwide.
Everton’s integration of the platform sets a new standard for fan engagement in football.
Everton recently signed a multi-year agreement that will see HPE Aruba Networking, a leading provider for enterprise network infrastructure, become an Official Supplier of Everton Stadium, providing a secure and intelligent networking infrastructure solution.
New beginnings
Everton also confirmed this week that the Club has been acquired by Roundhouse Capital Holdings Limited (Roundhouse), an entity within The Friedkin Group (TFG). The transaction was finalised following an agreement between Farhad Moshiri’s Blue Heaven Holdings (BHH) and Roundhouse for the sale of BHH’s majority stake in the Club.
The deal received the necessary regulatory approvals from the Premier League, Women’s Professional Leagues Limited, the Football Association, and the Financial Conduct Authority.
Marc Watts, incoming Executive Chairman of Everton Football Club, expressed his enthusiasm:
Today marks a momentous and proud occasion for The Friedkin Group as we become custodians of this iconic football club. We are committed to leading Everton into an exciting new era both on and off the pitch. Providing immediate financial stability to the Club has been a key priority, and we are delighted to have achieved this. While restoring Everton to its rightful place in the Premier League table will take time, today is the first step in that journey.
Farhad Moshiri, the outgoing majority shareholder, stated:
I truly believe that the transaction with The Friedkin Group is the best outcome for the Club and its future success. There has been a huge team effort in getting to this stage and I would like to personally thank my Board colleagues John Spellman and Colin Chong and all the senior management team including Katie, James, Richard and of course Kevin and Sean for their huge commitment to the Club.
Despite a challenging geopolitical backdrop, a significant amount has been achieved over the last couple of years including the delivery of a new sporting department, the stabilisation of our finances and the delivery of our iconic new stadium. I now hand over to new owners confident in the outlook for the Club and that our incredible fans will see the success on the pitch that they so thoroughly deserve.
Dan Friedkin, Chairman and CEO of TFG is proposed to be Chairman of the Board. He has appointed Marc Watts to serve as Executive Chairman, who will be responsible in this role for the management of the club. Ana Dunkel, TFG’s Chief Financial Officer and Colin Chong, the Club’s interim CEO will also serve on the Board. Additional appointments will be made in the coming weeks.
Source & images, courtesy of: Everton
The SVB LIVE series of events – organised by Sports Venue Business and focused on elevating the live experience – feature Global Networking Events and the annual SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition.
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