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Sky buys Una Tickets
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 23 September 2016
Sky Tickets, the ticketing business of your old buddies over at Sky telly, has bought up Una Tickets, the previously reported ticketing start-up that has its own membership card onto which tickets can be loaded. Like most start-ups playing in the ticketing space, Una reckons its approach can combat ticket fraud and touting, while providing extra data to help promoters plan their marketing and events, including onsite data from festivals.
Although Sky launched its ticketing unit three years ago, to date it has primarily focused on sporting events, though there have been some moves into music more recently. Given that was where Una’s ambitions always seemed to lie, this acquisition could be seen as Sky Tickets more formally launching itself into live music. Though its interest in Una may have been as much about the technology – with its membership card approach and mobile functionality – as the market in which it was operating.
Confirming the acquisition to IQ, Sky Tickets’ Mark Guymer said: “As we’ve started doing more and more in ticketing, we’ve had more concerns from customers. They’re worried about the security of their ticket: if it’s genuine, if they’re going to be able to get in. [Una’s solution] addresses that problem”.
Though he added that “live music has always been of interest to us [and] Una’s end-to-end capability will no doubt give us a bigger presence [there]”.
Meanwhile, the acquisition of Una and its team does coincide with the securing of some new clients in the entertainment space, including the Curious Arts Festival and Ben Lovett’s previously reported new London venue Omeara.