VenueNext, SeatGeek part of new app for Minnesota United FC

The Minnesota United football club has chosen stadium- and team-app provider VenueNext to build a new app for next season, when the MLS team moves into its new home, Allianz Field. According to an announcement from the team, the app will also include SeatGeek’s ticketing technology, the first time VenueNext has directly integrated SeatGeek into one of its team apps.

So far we don’t have any looks at the functionality of the app, which is slated to be ready for the 2019 season. The deal is VenueNext’s second MLS win, following an agreement to provide an app for D.C. United and its new home, Audi Field. It also represents another Twin Cities win for VenueNext, which is also the app developer for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings as well as the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx.

Twitter, Live Nation and Aruba are investors in $9 million Series A round for Levi’s Stadium app developer VenueNext

Screen shot from VenueNext's Levi's Stadium app

Screen shot from VenueNext’s Levi’s Stadium app

Almost as interesting as today’s news of a $9 million Series A venture round for Levi’s Stadium app developer VenueNext is the list of participants in this round of funding, which includes Twitter Ventures, Live Nation Entertainment and Aruba Networks, among others.

While there’s also an interesting story to be mined about lead investor Causeway Media Partners, whose managing partner Mark Wan is one of the San Francisco 49ers’ “one percent” minority owners, the other listed investors offer an interesting take on VenueNext’s potential future beyond its current single client, Levi’s Stadium.

In a press release announcing the funding, VenueNext CEO John Paul said the funds would be used mainly to expand the VenueNext team to support deployments of venue apps for 30 different new clients before the end of the calendar year. Though VenueNext has yet to name a client other than Levi’s Stadium, its upcoming list is expected to include not just sports stadiums but entertainment venues as well, a facet which partially explains the potential investment interest for Live Nation.

Aruba Networks, now owned by HP, is the gear used in the Wi-Fi and beacon networks at Levi’s, which are integrated tightly with the app, so perhaps the Aruba investment is a small way to gain influence at venues still considering Wi-Fi infrastructure purchases. And while we caution that all this is guesswork at this point, Twitter Ventures’ interest in VenueNext is most likely related to the app’s ability to integrate live video, which at some point could conceivably come from the phones of Twitter users via Vine or Periscope. Like we said, interesting partners to have!

Midseason version of Levi's Stadium app, with clearer icons on main screen

Midseason version of Levi’s Stadium app, with clearer icons on main screen

Much different approach

While VenueNext is still a newcomer in the stadium-application marketplace — trailing far behind established players like YinzCam and MLBAM in numbers of deployed apps — its approach to embracing a small number of fan-focused and revenue-generating features like concessions, ticketing, replays and loyalty programs is much different than most stadium apps, which have historically tried to cram as many features in as possible. VenueNext’s top calling card right now may be the in-seat food and merchandise delivery feature it implemented at Levi’s Stadium last year, impressive mainly because of its advertised ability to reach every seat in the 68,500-seat stadium (which worked pretty well for football games but not so much when hockey crowds showed up).

But what may prove more interesting and useful to other potential clients are VenueNext’s integrated ticketing and marketing-analysis features, which not only make it easier for fans to purchase and redirect tickets, but also allows teams to build databases with rich information about fan purchasing preferences.

On both fronts, VenueNext was successful at Levi’s Stadium last season, with the app accounting for more than $800,000 in food and beverage purchases (according to VenueNext) while also registering more than 200,000 unique users, who are all now a part of the Niners’ marketing database. And while the instant replay feature didn’t get as much fan traction as was originally thought, its backbone systems were impressive in action, and were witnessed last season by a weekly parade of IT guests from interested teams.

Originally conceived and funded by Aurum Partners LLC, an investment entity controlled by the Niners’ owners, VenueNext is part of a sports/technology group of investments by Causeway (including SeatGeek), a boutique-ish firm whose partners have a long history in investment and finance, including being owners of the Boston Celtics. Wan will also join VenueNext’s board as part of the investment round, according to VenueNext.

UPDATE: Wan wrote a post on Medium about the investment.

(VenueNext image parade follows. Credit all Levi’s Stadium photos and app screenshots: Paul Kapustka, MSR. Credit John Paul photo: VenueNext. Enjoy!)

First replay tablet app, which adds info about the play

First replay tablet app, which adds info about the play

Second replay tablet app, which adds a thumbnail to the replay

Second replay tablet app, which adds a thumbnail to the replay

Photo of directions function in Levi's Stadium app.

Photo of directions function in Levi’s Stadium app.

Probably the first time many fans heard the term "NiNerds" (Nov. 23, 2014)

Probably the first time many fans heard the term “NiNerds” (Nov. 23, 2014)

NiNerd sporting the new neon vest.

NiNerd sporting the new neon vest.

John Paul, CEO and founder, VenueNext

John Paul, CEO and founder, VenueNext

Season opener issues: Picture of app late in the first half.

Season opener issues: Picture of app late in the first half.

SeatGeek Insider Offers Mobile Sports Fans $50 for Best Idea

 

Chad Burgess, SeatGeek's corporate blogger

Chad Burgess: SeatGeek insider goes to sports social-media community to win contest

SeatGeek, which helps fans forecast the best prices for sporting events, is running an internal Hackathon contest, and Sept. 21 one of the company insiders asked sports fans to step up and provide ideas to help him win. A $50 Amazon gift card will be provided if you help deliver a winning idea, and the idea could be implemented before kick-off of week No. 3 NFL games on Sept. 25, SeatGeek said.

Writing on SeatGeek‘s corporate blog, company insider Chad Burgess is asking sport fans to send ideas on Twitter @SeatGeek. He promises that any original idea that helps him win the corporate prize — a free iPad — will get the $50 Amazon gift card, and says that he’s acting completely outside the bounds of the company to use the blog to get ideas from the public.

“I am going Rogue on this one (aka dark for Jack Bauer fans). The contest is sponsored by me, not SeatGeek,” Burgess writes.

SeatGeek  collects and filters data to allow fans to predict the prices of tickets. It is considered by MobileSportsReport.com to be one of the top sports-industry start-ups. Even if you don’t have any ideas for innovation, SeatGeek is worth a visit as you optimize your smartphone, iPad or tablet sports viewing experience.  

MobileSportsReport would like SeatGeek to provide a “fan interference” prediction function, where they calculate the number of fan interference incidences at ballparks, stadiums and arenas and provide fans with the likelihood that they will see a similar incident at the game they are about to attend. But that’s just us.

You probably have a better idea, and can twitter them to @SeatGeek through Friday September 23. So, if you figure out what you would like to see SeatGeek, consider letting it fly like an Andrew Luck out pattern to Chris Owusu. Not only will Burgess get an iPad, but you’ll be $50 closer to the fifty-yard line. Burgess posted the rules and additional details on the SeatGeek corporate blog.