Ticketing Platform Tixr Ups Ante With Bell Bank Park Naming Rights Deal

The ticketing platform attaches its brand to Bell Bank Park’s amphitheater, now Tixr Yard, and gaming/esports center Tixr Gaming Center. The complex opened in early February with a Lindsey Stirling concert. 

“This was almost like lightning striking,” said Tixr chief revenue officer Patrick Bradley. “They saw what we do and our platform and knew what their vision and need was, and that’s where the two come together. It came together very quickly, so I think it was meant to be.”

Bell Bank holds naming rights to the overall complex after signing a 10-year deal last year. The property was developed by Legacy Sports USA. The official name is Bell Bank Powered by Legacy Sports USA. OVG, owner of Pollstar and VenuesNow, runs the facility.

“Their challenge was to find a ticketing partner to handle the complexity of it,” he said. “We’re handling all of the commerce. It’s a 320-acre property. On any given day there can be dozens of general admission events, most youth sports events. At night, you could have a concert at the Tixr Yard with reserved seating for 6,000 people. That setup alone needs a sophisticated ticketing platform.”

The complex encompasses a 5,000-seat outdoor stadium, 2,800-seat indoor arena, 35 soccer, lacrosse and football fields, 57 indoor volleyball courts, eight baseball and softball fields and 20 basketball courts. 

“Tixr enables us to create a seamless experience for our guests whether they are attending a live sporting event or concert, or participating in an event,” said Rodney Reese, OVG Facilities’ general manager of Bell Bank Park.

The deal was brokered by Legacy Sports USA and OVG’s Global Partnerships, which is responsible for selling across all OVG  projects.

“Anybody that sees this thing is going to be blown away,” said Tixr CEO Robert Davari. “Just the scale of it is mind boggling. For us, whenever we see a challenge, we get excited, because that’s what we do. We’re trying to build products and innovate to solve unique and complex technical challenges.”

During the pandemic, Tixr handled ticketing for the Encore Drive-In Nights concert series that simulcast concerts by major stars like Bon Jovi and Florida Georgia Line simultaneously airing at 340 drive-in theaters across the U.S., Canada and even Ireland. 

Tixr also handles ticketing for various clubs, festivals like Summer Camp, Lightning In A Bottle 2022 and Catskill Mountain Jubilee and comic conventions, VIP packages and more.

“We showed them we’re not just going to handle one component, but the whole thing,” Davari said.

In Mesa, Bell Bank Park adds e-commerce opportunities for merchandise, concessions and camping. 

“As we got more excited about the venue, we decided to (acquire naming rights) to build up visibility of the Tixr brand and create more of a partnership approach to benefit the clients we work with or will be partners with,” Davari said.

Tixr is eager to expand its business to other sports and entertainment properties.

 “We’re still pushing the envelope and there’s still a lot of innovation, and we want to take that (sense of creativity) to the larger venue community,” he adds. “We are open to working with anybody looking for a tech-forward solution and a brand partner as well.”