TM’s Sporting Secondary Tix

Ticketmaster is gaining yards in the world of sports after scoring exclusive secondary ticketing deals with both the National Football League and National Hockey League within a matter of days.

The deals mean TM will operate the official resale platforms for the leagues on their respective Web sites, as well as Ticketmaster.com, where fans will be able to buy and resell tickets to the leagues’ sporting events through TicketExchange.

Ticketmaster currently provides secondary ticketing for 18 of the NFL’s teams and 14 of the NHL’s teams through its TicketExchange platform. Some teams currently hold contracts through other secondary ticketing sites, so the moves will not take effect across the leagues immediately; however, both are expected to launch the TM secondary ticketing services in 2008.

"Fans expect and deserve to be able to resell their tickets in a safe, convenient and legal way," TM VP Eric Korman said in a statement. "This is a great win for fans, who benefit from the unparalleled security and efficiency of our technology."

The secondary ticketing market has proved too profitable to ignore, and with more and more states moving to accept what was once considering a shady business, Ticketmaster is one among many companies fighting for its respective piece of the pie.

Korman said TM could be considered an "underdog" in the category. The hope is that by providing fans with a secure source for secondary tickets, the company will be able to "aggressively compete to win dollars and grow ahead of the competition."