1M UEFA Tickets to Be Distributed Via Blockchain in 2020

European soccer fans will be one of the first blockchain adopters with a new initiative by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which plans to sell tickets via blockchain.

The announcement from February 17 states that UEFA plans to distribute tickets with a blockchain-empowered mobile app. The organization believes that this new ticketing system will make “entry into the stadium smooth, safe and secure.”

The new blockchain-based ticketing system is designed to prevent the duplication and replication of tickets by “QR codes only being activated by Bluetooth once fans are in close proximity to the stadium.” The app will be available for download up to the end of May for Android and iOS.

Tickets will be delivered no later than seven days before the match, and “UEFA expects to deliver over one million mobile tickets to fans across all 51 matches.” UEFA decided to leverage the blockchain solution in order to ease ticket distribution to what is believed to be the most prominent UEFA cup ever.

UEFA also maintained that digital tickets will help decrease paper usage and be more comfortable for soccer fans:

“Supporters who purchase ‘Follow my team’ tickets will receive their mobile tickets only once their team has qualified for a specific match. The ability to deliver mobile tickets to fans close to matchday will considerably enhance the fan journey, as fans will no longer be required to visit ticket collection points to exchange ticket vouchers.”

The initiative derives from the successful implementation of the mobile ticketing system in August 2018 for the UEFA Super Cup soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in Tallinn, Estonia.

Blockchain’s the ticket

Many sports franchises and event organizers are adopting blockchain for ticketing, as the technology is highly effective in preventing forgery and ensure comfort.

In December 2019, Ticketmaster’s vice president of blockchain products Sandy Khaund stated that the technology can snuff out secondary ticket markets and ensure that “tickets end up in the right hands.”

The CEO and founder of EventChain, Ashton Addison, explained:

“The whole point of implementing blockchain in the ticketing industry is to bring back fairness to the artists, event organizers and fans. For example, a major problem facing the industry is counterfeit tickets. Blockchain can prevent this by allowing attendees to verify the authenticity of their tickets. This also turns tickets into scarce digital assets, which are unable to be double sold.”