Hornets rolling out new mobile-ticketing policy this season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly every ticket sold by the Charlotte Hornets this season will be purchased on a mobile device, part of a sweeping industry trend that is making old-school ticket stubs go the way of phone booths.

Earlier this year, the Carolina Panthers, citing an NFL “league-wide initiative,” went paperless. Teams, leagues and venue operators like mobile ticketing for several reasons that include saving them money by not having to print and issue paper tickets; speeding up entry times; making it easier to reduce headaches such as lost, stolen and counterfeit tickets; reducing paper waste; and, crucially, providing a trove of information about who uses each ticket and how often. With mobile-ticket selling and transfers, teams can collect information on more casual fans who become prospects for future sales.

[ALSO READ: Michael Jordan says Hornets add 2 partners to ownership group]

“Everything’s about the data and how you mine the data and direct marketing to the consumer,” said Steve Hall, principal at Charlotte-based Signature Sports Group. “It’s fishing where the fish are biting.”

Hornets executives told CBJ Wednesday that, while data remains an important part of the mix, the NBA franchise already has access to numerous customer transactions.

Read the full story here.

Cox Media Group