Premier Lacrosse League signs sponsorship deal with Ticketmaster
- Kendall Baker, author of Axios Sports
Photo: M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Premier Lacrosse League has signed a title sponsorship deal with Ticketmaster, meaning the league will be known as the Premier Lacrosse League, powered by Ticketmaster as it embarks on its second season.
Why it matters: While the PLL's inaugural campaign was a success by almost any metric, ticketing proved to be a challenge given the league's tour-based model, which saw all six teams (now seven) play in a different city each weekend.
"We used eight different ticketing providers in Year 1 because of the differentiation from venue to venue, so making it easier to access tickets will be beneficial. And since we're a true single-entity and do everything in-house (ticket sales, team merchandise, etc), Ticketmaster's full suite of services is going to help us understand our audience and acquire new fans."— PLL co-founder Paul Rabil tells Axios
The big picture: Ticketmaster joins a growing list of sponsors (Adidas, Capital One, Gatorade) that have made significant investments in the PLL, which is hoping to make "pro lacrosse player" a more viable career path than it's ever been before.
- Any investment in the PLL is an investment in lacrosse as a whole, and if the league succeeds in the long run, the trickle-down effects will be felt at the college, high school and even youth levels.
Similar deals: The NBA's development league changed from the D-League to the G League in 2017 after striking a deal with Gatorade, and from 2007 to 2016, England's Premier League was known as the Barclays Premier League.
Coming next week ... Checking in on the world of college lacrosse.