SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) today announced an agreement to acquire Ticketbis, an international ticket marketplace with a presence in 47 countries. Ticketbis will become part of eBay Inc.’s StubHub business, the largest ticket marketplace in the U.S. With this acquisition, StubHub will grow its presence across Latin America and Europe and expand into Asia Pacific, becoming the global ticket marketplace leader, as measured by volume of transactions and international reach.
Today’s news builds on StubHub’s history of innovation and strong tradition of “firsts,” which include forging the first ticket guarantee that covered both buyers and sellers in 2006; launching the industry’s first ticketing app on iOS devices in 2010; being the first ticketing company with stadium naming rights in 2013; and now, becoming an international ticketing leader by adding the Ticketbis business to its offerings.
"In a world where the richest moments in life are becoming less about the things people have and more about the experiences they have to share, the acquisition of Ticketbis will allow us to connect millions more people with inspiring events,” said Scott Cutler, President of StubHub. “The only boundary to an incredible experience is access, and this acquisition will enable StubHub to offer more events on a global basis to fans and event-goers around the world, and to help them discover new ways to enrich their lives."
“The acquisition of Ticketbis will enable us to significantly scale StubHub's international footprint," said Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc. "eBay's global presence will help StubHub acquire new customers as it expands into markets outside of the U.S. This deal reaffirms our commitment to investing in StubHub and helping fuel its momentum."
“StubHub’s extensive assets will add tremendous value for ticketing patrons and sellers worldwide, especially as we continue our expansion into nascent markets,” said Ander Michelena, co-founder of Ticketbis. “Together, the StubHub and Ticketbis marketplaces represent tremendous value and opportunity for fans around the world to experience the events they love, whenever and wherever they are. We are thrilled to be a part of the eBay family, and we look forward to continuing our innovation in ticketing as part of the StubHub brand.”
The acquisition of Ticketbis is StubHub’s latest geographic expansion, preceded by the launches in Mexico in May 2016, Germany in September 2015 and the UK in March 2012.
The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in mid-2016. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed. The acquisition of Ticketbis is not expected to impact the second quarter 2016 or full year 2016 guidance that eBay provided most recently in its first quarter 2016 earnings announcement.
About StubHub
At StubHub, our mission is simple: help fans find fun. We connect fans with their favorite teams, shows and artists and introduce them to the ones they'll love next. As the largest ticket marketplace in the U.S., we enable fans to buy and sell tens of thousands of tickets, whenever they want, through our desktop and mobile experiences, including our StubHub and StubHub Music apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android. Offering a superior fan experience at its core, StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead it through innovation. Our industry firsts include the introduction of the first ticketing application, the first interactive seat mapping tool and being the first ticketing company with stadium naming rights in 2013. Our business partners include more than 60 teams in MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and NCAA, plus ESPN, NBC Digital, AEG and Spectra Ticketing & Fan Engagement. Throughout North America, the United Kingdom and Germany, StubHub provides the total end-to-end event going experience. StubHub is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). For more information on StubHub, visit StubHub.com or follow @StubHub on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or YouTube.com/StubHub.
About Ticketbis
Ticketbis is an online platform for the sale and purchase of tickets to events worldwide. The online secondary ticketing market has been around in the U.S. for over a decade, however, in many countries, this type of business model is relatively new and unknown. Ticketbis is one of the first to successfully export the American-born business model to the regions of Southern Europe, Latin America and Asia. Ticketbis makes it easy for users to attend events all over the world.
Ticketbis, founded in 2009, is based in Bilbao and Madrid, Spain and became a market leader in Spain in its first year. The company now has a presence in more than 40 countries and is a market leader in southern Europe and Latin America.
About eBay
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global commerce leader including the Marketplace, StubHub and Classifieds platforms. Collectively, we connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world, empowering people and creating opportunity through Connected Commerce. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay is one of the world’s largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2015, eBay enabled $82 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the future performance of eBay Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. These statements are based on eBay’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied in this press release for a variety of reasons. You can find more information about risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect our operating results in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting eBay’s Investor Relations website at https://investors.ebayinc.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You should not rely on any forward-looking statements. All information in this press release is as of May 24, 2016, and we do not intend and undertake no duty to update this information.
