The event ticketing giant Ticketmaster announced it will be using the Flow blockchain from Dapper Labs for minting tickets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for upcoming events. The NFTs will function as “proof of attendance” and serve as collectible digital memorabilia that can be stored and traded on the blockchain.
The announcement comes after Ticketmaster and Dapper Labs have been experimenting with an NFT pilot program. As part of the pilot, Ticketmaster issued ticket NFT collectibles to attendees of select events, including this year’s Super Bowl.
Dapper Labs reported that more than five million Ticketmaster NFTs were minted by Flow over a six-month period. Through the collaboration, Ticketmaster also built a digital wallet and NFT marketplace feature on its site that allows users to trade and view their NFTs.
According to the report, the NFT tickets won’t be all encompassing. Instead, Ticketmaster will release them for select events, including 100 games of the upcoming NFL season.
Mickey Maher, senior vice president of partnerships for Dapper Labs, said he remained undecided about whether all tickets should one day become NFTs. But he added that partnerships and projects such as this one between Ticketmaster and Dapper Labs could drive ticketing in the direction of the blockchain.
NFT Tickets Are Becoming More Popular
Ticketmaster may be the most important ticketing company to issue tickets as NFTs, but it certainly isn’t the only entity experimenting with NFT tickets. At Rarity Sniper, we’ve covered several unique NFT ticketing projects. Here are some of the most interesting ones.
A few months ago, EXIT, the two-time winner of the Best Major European Festival, partnered with NFT-Tix to become the first European music festival to use blockchain technology for ticketing. EXIT also launched NFT collections with superstars Christina Carmela and Maceo Plex.
Next, Paris Hilton recently became a leading investor in “Afterparty,” an NFT ticketing site. The platform reportedly raised about $7 million from venture capitalists, investment firms, and celebrities. The platform rose to popularity last year after minting 1,500 NFTs that gave holders access to a myriad of party perks and VIP passes.
Lastly, TravelX and Air Europa issued an NFT flight ticket series called NFTickets. The NFTickets are tied to real airline tickets for a flight from Madrid to Miami in December. The flight coincides with the Art Basel event in Miami, a hotspot for crypto and NFT enthusiasts.
It will take time before we know if Ticketmaster’s NFT tickets on the Flow blockchain will be a success, and if the company will continue to expand its NFT ticketing options. But considering the myriad of ways that NFT technology can apply to ticket and the past success of Dapper Labs and Flow blockchain, there’s a good chance NFT tickets are here to stay.