NFT utility to remedy ticketing dilemmas? Experts weigh-in

cointelegraph.com:

The 2022 Champions League final will have a checkered position in the competition’s history book. Real Madrid emerged victorious over Liverpool inside the Stade de France, but the pandemonium outside the stadium before kick-off highlights the need for innovative solutions to events ticketing.

Counterfeit tickets played a massive role in the chaotic scenes that played out in the French capital in June 2022, as fans broke into the stadium precinct while authorities rebuffed many. French authorities estimated that 35,000 people had arrived at France’s national stadium with fake tickets or none at all, in addition to the 75,000 fans that had legitimate tickets for the grand final.

Black market ticket sales and touting have been part and parcel of the sporting and events world for decades, but the advent of blockchain-powered ticketing looks to be a promising solution. Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are multi-faceted in that they ensure the credibility of tickets and enable Internet-of-Things (IoT) functionality while also serving as a unique digital collectible to commemorate an event.

The NFL has already tested the waters with NFT ticketing, having distributed around 250,000 NFT tickets after launch in November 2021. Fans that attended the NFL’s Super Bowl LVI were also eligible for commemorative NFT tickets — all at no cost. How that NFT ticket looks and what it incorporates are up to the creators. The NFL’s NFT tickets are minted on the Polygon blockchain and feature different animated visual elements.

The French envoy for the 2024 Paris Olympics has also suggested the use of NFT ticketing solutions to manage attendance for the events, as well as a trial run at the 2024 Rugby World Cup, which will also be hosted in the country.

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