Cavaliers expand paperless ticketing at arena

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will expand paperless ticketing to all seats and events at Quicken Loans Arena beginning in October, dropping use of Ticketmaster four months after a settlement was reached with the ticketing giant to end a lawsuit.

The club announced Monday that Veritix's Flash Seats paperless ticketing technology will be used for all games, concerts and special events at the arena. The team launched the system for Cavs' season ticket holders in 2006.

The Cavaliers, Flash Seats and rival ticketing service Ticketmaster reached a settlement in May in the lawsuit brought by Ticketmaster Inc.

A federal judge had ruled in September that the Cavaliers must stop allowing season ticketholders to resell tickets through the Flash Seats Web site because it violated the team's contract with Ticketmaster. Damages had not been decided and the case was being appealed.

In the May 22 settlement, the groups said, the West Hollywood, Calif.-based Ticketmaster agreed to allow the Cavaliers to use Flash Seats for the resale of tickets. The judge lifted a ban that prevented the Cavaliers from using Flash Seats and the lawsuit was dismissed.

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert leads the investor group that owns Cleveland-based Veritix.

A court document showed the team's contract with Ticketmaster was to expire in 2010.

The settlement, which that allows Veritix to take over all ticketing at the arena, was mutually agreed upon, said Veritix President Jeff Kline.

When asked for comment Monday, Ticketmaster referred to a statement that followed the May settlement.

The Veritix technology allows customers to use a credit card or driver's license to enter an event and to electronically transfer or resell the paperless tickets to someone else.

Kline calls the system the ultimate convenience for fans, as well as one that allows the team to target and market to new fans and to fill seats that would otherwise be empty.

"What we have found in Cleveland, ... it decreased the amount of no shows versus paper tickets to the tune of 5 or 6 percent," he said.

Cavaliers season-ticket holders who have used the system have given it a 98 percent approval rating, said Len Komoroski, president of the Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena.

Customers will be able to buy tickets online, by phone, at retail locations and designated kiosks and at Quicken Loans Arena.

Other NBA teams using Veritix include the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets.

Veritix said its service eliminates worries about lost, stolen or counterfeit tickets. Because tickets are purchased digitally, fans have "no need to print (a ticket) at home or stand in line for will call," the company said in a statement.

According to Veritix, people wanting to sell tickets that they cannot use can do so "instantly in the only authenticated, team-guaranteed online secondary marketplace" through the system.