What People are Betting On...

Even though major sports are shut down, there is still betting on various activites and sports happening around the globe.

Like:

1. Club Friendlies  -  Soccer
2. Pro League. Moscow – Table Tennis
3. TT-Cup – Table Tennis
4. CS: GO ESL Pro League Season 11 – Esports
5. MLBL – Basketball
6. Taiwan Championship – Basketball
7. UFC – MMA
8. Primera Division – Soccer
9. Vysshaya Lida – Soccer
10. NFL 2020 Simulations – American Football

Online Ticketers Hurting... New Policies

With more than 23,000 live events cancelled and more to come, online ticketing websites are struggling with their business model.

Stubhub announced new policies this morning and the ticket buyer is not going to like them.

Given the impact of the coronavirus, it is not possible to sustain this practice in the near-term. We are facing significant timing delays in recouping funds from the thousands of sellers on our platform, and expect these challenges to continue in the coming months. At the same time, buyers expect immediate refunds. As a result, we’ve enacted new policies in the US and Canada that we believe are clear and fan-first.

Buyer Policies

We understand fans are disappointed and concerned by these large-scale event cancellations. We were the first in our industry to begin offering customers 120% credit for the canceled purchases as a thank you for remaining patient in a very challenging period. In the first two weeks of offering this option, approximately 70% of customers opted to receive this additional future value. Recently, we announced this as our standard policy for canceled events, with refunds available in jurisdictions where they are required. Coupons can be applied to one or multiple StubHub orders in the same currency. If your order is less than your coupon value, you can use the remainder on another event.

Seller Policies

Meanwhile, sellers on our platform also face challenges. Music and sports fans, season ticket holders, and business sellers are unclear if teams and primary ticketing companies are providing credits or refunds for the tickets they had previously bought and subsequently sold on StubHub. We are working with the thousands of sellers across our platform to understand options and timing for repayment to us for tickets of canceled events. We’ve also updated our seller policies going forward to manage future risk. You can read more about our updated policies here.

Remembering Curly Neal

One of the all-time great Harlem Globetrotters.

A clip of when theu layed the Omni court in the CNN Center for ABC Wide World of Sports.

Olympics Likely Postponed

Until 2021...

Previewing the Final Four Coming to Atlanta

This week, the City of Atlanta and the NCAA enveiled some of their plans for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships, the Final Four coming to Atlanta in April.

Even if you don’t have a ticket to the games being played, there will be plenty of things fans can do leading up to the 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Atlanta, April 3-6, 2020.

The events are planned with families and basketball fans of all ages in mind and will include a variety of free or low-cost, family-friendly options.

“We are excited to welcome renowned musical and basketball talent to the city of Atlanta,” said Carl Adkins, executive director of the Atlanta Basketball Host Committee. “With daily activities, concerts and National Championship games in all three divisions being held in one weekend, the NCAA Final Four will give Atlanta locals and visitors alike unique and affordable opportunities to be part of the Final Four.”

It all starts on Friday, April 3, as fans will be able to get a first look at the court set up inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium at the free Reese’s Final Four Friday. During the event, the four teams participating in the Final Four will hold open practices, which are free to the public. The practices will be followed by the Reese’s All-Star Game, featuring the top senior NCAA student-athletes.

“Atlanta prides itself on being a world-class host for the sporting world’s biggest events, and we are proud to host the Final Four for the fifth time,” said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Thank you to the NCAA, the Atlanta Sports Council, the Atlanta Basketball Host Committee—and a special thank you to the women and men in public safety who put themselves in harm’s way to ensure a safe, secure and fun event for visitors and residents alike.”

Things kick into high gear with an assortment of fan events. They will include the Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One, held at the Georgia World Congress Center beginning April 3 until April 6. Fan Fest tickets will be on sale beginning Wednesday, January 15 at $10 per person with free admission for children 12 and under and Capital One cardholders. For more information about the Fan Fest and tickets, please visit the Fan Fest overview located on the NCAA’s website.

The March Madness Music Festival will also tip off on Friday, April 3, with the AT&T Block Party, on Saturday, April 4, with Coca-Cola Music and continue through Sunday, April 5, with Capital One JamFest, featuring Taylor Swift as the headliner. Located in Centennial Olympic Park, the festival is free to the public and will include a variety of music artists, which will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. Additional details about JamFest and exclusive cardmember benefits will be forthcoming.

Once again, the NCAA Men’s Division II and III National Championships will be held on Sunday, April 5, at State Farm Arena. The Division III game will tipoff at 12:30 p.m. and the Division II game will begin at 4 p.m. The games are free and open to the public.