Want to see the Patriots go undefeated? In person? Tickets are hard to come by for New England's remaining games, but you can always count on eBay's
StubHub is teaming up with Disney's
That's not the point. StubHub will be there for the hungry local fans who do want to make it to the next home game.
This couldn't have been an easy decision for ESPN. Incremental revenue is at stake, but does it want to be perceived as aiding and abetting potential scalpers?
Since I brought up the Patriots, I should point out that things got heated between the team and StubHub last year. The team sued StubHub for offering premium-priced home game tickets. Then StubHub fought back, countersuing by alleging that the team was violating the state's anti-scalping laws by attempting to monopolize the resale of its own tickets. That didn't stop the Patriots from demanding the names of the season ticket holders who have sold their tickets through StubHub last month.
Teams like to milk their own cows twice. Down here in Miami, IAC/InterActiveCorp's
Then again, if even Major League Baseball handed over the keys to StubHub at MLB.com this summer, who is ESPN to shoot the event-reseller down?
StubHub offers sellers the opportunity to unload tickets for upcoming games, concerts, and shows. Listings are free -- unlike eBay -- although the 15% commission bite is larger on completed sales.
StubHub works. That's why eBay shelled out $310 million to acquire the trading site this year. It's not the only game in town. Hollywood Media's
So who cares about watching the Patriots go undefeated? Let's see whether someone can knock StubHub off its perch. Now that would be impressive.
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