Yanks Nix Print-at-Home Tix to Eliminate ‘Fraud,’ Team Says; Critics Say to Eliminate StubHub

The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Daniel J. Flynn

The New York Yankees say they eliminated print-at-home tickets as a crackdown on fraud. The team’s critics call this a fraud.

The Bronx Bombers had earlier opted out of using Major League Baseball’s default second-hand ticket dealer, StubHub, in favor of a deal with Ticketmaster. The decision to eliminate tickets printed by the buyers makes it more difficult for fans to use StubHub.

A StubHub spokesman pointed out to Breitbart Sports that Yankees fans can still purchase tickets from StubHub but the new policy compels them to pick them up at the company’s office near the stadium. The ticket re-seller offered a prepared statement noting that “StubHub believes that the best customer experience is one on a free and open marketplace where fans can buy and sell tickets whenever and wherever they want.” 

The Yankees explain to their fans that they can either purchase traditional, hard-stock paper tickets or opt for mobile tickets:

As the Yankees  are continuously striving to implement technological advances to provide our fans with a ticketing experience that is unparalleled, convenient, safe and secure, the Yankees are excited to announce, as a complement to traditional hard stock paper tickets, the availability of mobile ticketing for the 2016 baseball season. Print-at-home paper tickets (PDFs) are being discontinued so as to further combat fraud and counterfeiting of tickets associated with print-at-home paper tickets (PDFs). In addition to traditional hard stock paper tickets, the Yankees will be offering the opportunity for fans to receive mobile tickets on a fan’s Smartphone.

Mobile ticketing is a completely voluntary, opt-in feature. All season ticket licensees and group ticket buyers will automatically receive traditional hard stock paper tickets. For fans purchasing individual game tickets online at yankees.com, Ticketmaster.com, or via Ticketmaster telephone, you will have the option of receiving traditional hard stock paper tickets or mobile tickets at the time of initial purchase. Fans purchasing individual game tickets at the Yankee Stadium Ticket Office or at Yankees Clubhouse Shops will receive only traditional hard stock paper tickets (and will not have an option to receive mobile tickets or the option to convert their tickets to mobile tickets). Print-at-home paper tickets (PDFs) will no longer be available.

The preference for Ticketmaster over StubHub stems from the former’s practice of holding to a firm minimum for ticket prices, which puts more money in the team’s coffers per attendee but risks the Yankees playing to smaller crowds. The Yankees led Major League Baseball in attendance last season, as they have done for more than a decade, but the team nevertheless saw declining crowds despite playing in the postseason for the first time since 2012.

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