Will the NFL’s Digital-only Ticketing Strategy Backfire?

With the 2019 NFL Season kicking off this weekend, fans will be lined up around the country to catch their local team in action for the first time in months.

For now though, they may be in line a little longer than they are accustomed to.

Organizations like the Chicago Bears have mandated that fans use mobile tickets to enter their venue this season. Attendees will need to access their tickets through a smartphone in order to enter the stadium.

The move is an effort to combat fraudulent ticket sales and ultimately speed up gate lines, but the shift has come with some growing pains.

CBS Chicago reports that the Bears will offer three WiFi hotspot tents outside Soldier Field in order to aid ticketholders who have questions or issues with the new format.

With digital tickets comes new insights as well. Teams should be able to better track the flow of people over time, and which gates are busier at specific times. This should help the gameday experience in the long run.

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