SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Mar 16 (MARKET WIRE) --
As March Madness officially kicks off with today's selection announcement,
teams from across the country are scrambling to devise their game plans, all
hoping to be the last team standing come April 7th in San Antonio. Meanwhile,
tens of thousands of fans are making a mad rush for tickets, hoping to catch
the Big Dance in person. Since 2000, StubHub, the world's largest ticket
marketplace, has helped more fans get to March Madness games than any other
ticketingcompany, giving it a unique perspective on how fans can scoop up the
best
ticket value. With tickets rarely, if ever, available at the box office
forNCAA Tournament games, access to the best selection of tickets is top of
mind for college hoops fans.
"Selection Sunday is like the day after Thanksgiving at StubHub, as the
minute the 65 teams' destinations are revealed, our site traffic goes off the
charts," said StubHub spokesperson Sean Pate. "With college bowl games fans
have some time to deliberate on their travel, but with tournament games
beginning in
four short days, the sense of urgency to secure tickets is immediate."
No matter if your team is a 'Cinderella' story, a bracket buster or a
traditional powerhouse, the need to know how to find the best options for
tickets remains the same. StubHub provides the inside scoop that will
helpfans find the perfect tickets to experience the madness of March:
-- Play the market. StubHub acts like a stock market for tickets, with
games/locations taking on the qualities of stocks with hot or cold values.
If two traditional powers are squaring off in an early round match up,
buying quickly is a good bet when selection is at its highest. If your
team is playing a relative unknown, prices can very well decline until tip-
off, so consider watching the StubHub market before buying and you may come
up with a major deal. For most venues, tickets are available until tipoff
on StubHub.
-- First Weekend = Best Bang for Buck. Each round of the NCAA Tournament
provides riveting drama and intense competition, but as teams advance and
the stakes get higher so does the price tag. The first weekend of the Big
Dance offers not only some of the most dramatic scenes but also the
greatest values. With three different sessions to choose from, hoops fans
have flexibility in deciding on which games to attend. Plan a trip to the
first round sites to see high drama and the best prices for tickets.
-- Quality or Quantity? Fans who are looking to take in as much of the
madness as possible should consider purchasing entire session "strips" of
tickets. During weekend one, ticket strips grant admission to six games
total, two sessions and four games on day one with two games on day two.
For not much more investment, fans can have an all access pass to the games
on any given day of competition. Conversely, if it's just one team you're
really interested in seeing, single session passes can be purchased through
StubHub for as little as $40.
-- Losers = Winners. With upsets a constant during March Madness, fans
often find themselves left with tickets to games their team will not be
playing in. When disappointed fans want to head home they will look to
unload tickets in a hurry, yielding big value for the patient buyer. This
will apply most often for the second day of competition at any venue.
-- Don't assume, check often. Don't assume the location or price of
tickets you want will not be available if you don't see them on your first
visit. StubHub's online marketplace is constantly changing as sellers will
list new tickets and change prices frequently. Savvy shoppers should check
often for new ticket availability or more attractive prices.
Following is an early glance at the current selling prices for NCAA
Tournament sites this coming weekend. Visit StubHub.com for up to the minute
selection and availability:
Average Least Expensive
Venue Selling Price Ticket Sold
----- ------------- ---------------
Anaheim $ 259 $ 40
Birmingham $ 205 $ 55
Denver $ 236 $ 70
Little Rock $ 304 $ 89
Omaha $ 464 $ 125
Raleigh $ 265 $ 65
Tampa $ 262 $ 45
Washington DC $ 318 $ 65
StubHub is the officially endorsed secondary ticket marketplace of the
following universities: Arizona, Georgetown, Kansas State, Purdue, Stanford,
Texas A&M, USC and West Virginia.
StubHub's unique, unrestricted marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets,
provides
fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient and
guaranteed
environment. The company's best of class customer service, FanProtect(TM)
Guarantee and award-winning customer satisfaction are attributes that have
made StubHub a destination for millions of ticket buyers and sellers.
About StubHub
StubHub is the world's largest ticket marketplace, enabling fans to buy
andsell tickets to a vast selection of nearly 30,000 sports, concert, theater
and
other live entertainment events. StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in
2000 and continues to lead through innovation. The company's unique online
marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets, provides all fans the choice to buy
or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient, and highly reliable environment.
All transactions are processed and delivered via StubHub's patent-pending
FanNetwork(SM) ticket delivery service, supported by seven-day toll free
customer
service at 1-866-STUBHUB, and backed by an industry-first FanProtect(TM)
Guarantee. Company partners include MLB.com and over 30 teams in the NFL, NBA,
NHL and NCAA along with numerous media companies.
StubHub is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). For more information on
StubHub,visit www.stubhub.com
Contact:
Andrew Pray
Ruder Finn/West for StubHub
415.348.2732
praya@ruderfinn.com
Jeff Seedman
Ruder Finn/West for StubHub
310.882.4009
seedmanj@ruderfinn.com
Copyright 2008, Market Wire, All rights reserved.
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