History of StubHub in Timeline

StubHub is a prominent American ticket resale and primary ticket marketplace. Functioning as a broker, it facilitates the buying and selling of tickets for events, primarily in sports, music, and theater. The company is a subsidiary of StubHub Holdings, which also owns Viagogo. StubHub allows individuals and entities to resell tickets they own, often at prices that differ from the original face value. It operates as an online platform, connecting buyers and sellers and providing a secure environment for ticket transactions.

March 2000: StubHub Incorporated

In March 2000, Eric Baker and Jeff Fluhr incorporated StubHub in San Francisco.

August 2000: StubHub raises seed funding

In August 2000, StubHub raised US$600,000 in seed funding.

2000: StubHub Founded

In 2000, StubHub was founded in San Francisco by Eric Baker and Jeff Fluhr.

2001: First deal with Seattle Mariners

In 2001, StubHub signed its first deal with a professional sports team, partnering with the Seattle Mariners.

2002: eBay in talks to acquire StubHub

In 2002, eBay was in talks to acquire StubHub for US$20 million, but the agreement fell apart over price.

2004: Baker leaves StubHub due to disagreement with Fluhr

In 2004, Eric Baker left StubHub due to disagreements with Jeff Fluhr over the company's direction.

2005: StubHub becomes cash flow positive

In 2005, StubHub had a positive cash flow with sales of approximately US$200 million and revenues of approximately US$50 million and successfully lobbied for law changes in New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania regarding ticket sales.

November 2006: New England Patriots sue StubHub

In November 2006, the New England Patriots sued StubHub for allegedly encouraging customers to break Massachusetts law by selling tickets for more than US$2 above their face value.

2006: New York Yankees crack down on ticket resale

In 2006, over 100 New York Yankees season-ticket holders suspected of reselling their seats on StubHub received letters denying them the right to buy playoff tickets and barring them from buying season tickets for the 2007 season.

2006: Value of tickets sold on StubHub reaches $400 million

In 2006, the value of tickets sold on the StubHub platform was approximately US$400 million, generating approximately US$100 million in revenue.

2007: StubHub acquired by eBay and Chris Tsakalakis becomes president

In 2007, Jeff Fluhr sold StubHub to eBay for US$310 million and left the company. Chris Tsakalakis became the company president.

2007: Major League Baseball Partners With StubHub

In 2007, Major League Baseball partnered with StubHub to become the league's official online ticket reseller.

2007: StubHub sold to eBay

In 2007, StubHub was sold to eBay for US$310 million.

2007: New York Yankees revoke season tickets

In 2007, The New York Yankees revoked the season tickets of those who resold them on StubHub, saying that doing so violated its licensing policy.

2007: Ticketmaster Sues StubHub

In 2007, Ticketmaster sued StubHub for offering "official premium tickets" to events for which Ticketmaster had exclusivity deals.

2008: StubHub ticket sales reach $5 billion annually

By 2008, StubHub was selling approximately US$5 billion in tickets annually.

2009: Settlement of lawsuit between StubHub and New England Patriots

In 2009, the lawsuit between StubHub and the New England Patriots was settled under undisclosed terms.

May 2011: StubHub partners with multiple entertainment entities

In May 2011, StubHub had 62 partners across entertainment fields, including with the Fiesta Bowl, Boston Red Sox, and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

December 2011: StubHub launches pilot program in the United Kingdom

In December 2011, StubHub launched a pilot program in the United Kingdom.

March 2012: StubHub begins full operations in the UK

In March 2012, StubHub began full operations in the United Kingdom.

December 2012: StubHub Criticized for Ticket Scalping at 12-12-12 Concert

In December 2012, StubHub was criticized by organizers of 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief for allowing scalpers to resell tickets to the event for significant markups. In response, the company donated its fees for the ticket sales, totaling approximately US$500,000, to the Robin Hood Foundation.

2012: Renewal of the agreement between Major League Baseball and StubHub

In 2012, The agreement between Major League Baseball and StubHub was renewed with modifications, including a minimum price of US$6 for tickets and inclusion of all fees at the time of selecting seats.

March 2013: Yankees Sue StubHub for Opening an Office Near Yankee Stadium

In March 2013, the Yankees sued StubHub for opening an office within 1,500 feet of Yankee Stadium.

2013: StubHub Partnerships

As of 2013, StubHub had partnerships with 35 college sports teams, including the universities of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

2013: StubHub implements "all-in" pricing structure

In 2013, StubHub made "all-in" pricing standard across all ticket sales.

November 2014: Chris Tsakalakis resigns, Scott Cutler becomes president

In November 2014, Chris Tsakalakis resigned as president of StubHub, and Scott Cutler succeeded him.

November 2015: StubHub's Antitrust Lawsuit Dismissed

In November 2015, StubHub's antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and the Golden State Warriors was dismissed.

2015: StubHub reverses "all-in" pricing

In 2015, StubHub reversed its all-in pricing due to declining sales.

2015: UK Revises Rules for Secondary Ticket Sellers

In 2015, The United Kingdom revised rules for secondary ticket sellers, requiring that sellers include row and seat numbers. StubHub pledged to improve the information provided to customers.

2016: StubHub revenues approximately $940 million

In 2016, StubHub had revenues of approximately US$940 million.

November 9, 2017: Article in The Toronto Star

According to a November 9, 2017 article published in The Toronto Star, Julien Lavallée was able to expand his business using "exploitative tactics" that "gam[e] the ticket marketplace and put entertainment beyond the reach of millions of fans who can’t compete with large-scale scalping operations."

2017: StubHub signs advertising deal with Philadelphia 76ers

In 2017, StubHub signed a 3-year, US$15 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to put a patch on players' jerseys beginning in the 2017-2018 season.

2017: CMA Raids StubHub's Offices

In 2017, the CMA raided StubHub's offices to acquire information for the investigation and subsequently expanded its scope to include advertising for tickets not yet in stock and high-pressure sales tactics.

April 2018: StubHub makes "formal commitment" to improve information

In April 2018, StubHub made a "formal commitment" to improve information provided to consumers.

2018: StubHub sells US$4.75 billion worth of tickets

In 2018, StubHub sold US$4.75 billion worth of tickets in 44 countries.

2018: Sukhinder Singh Cassidy named company president of StubHub

In 2018, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy was named company president of StubHub, replacing Scott Cutler.

November 2019: Viagogo to purchase StubHub

In November 2019, it was announced that Viagogo would purchase StubHub for US$4.05 billion.

February 2020: Baker completes the purchase of StubHub

In February 2020, Eric Baker completed the sale of StubHub to Viagogo, approximately 5 weeks before the COVID-19 lockdowns.

2020: StubHub argues in favor of all-in pricing

In 2020, StubHub argued in favor of mandating "all-in" pricing in the United States during Congressional testimony.

2020: Viagogo repurchases StubHub

In 2020, Viagogo, led by Eric Baker, repurchased StubHub for approximately US$4 billion.

2020: CMA finds StubHub not providing adequate information

In 2020, the CMA said StubHub was not providing adequate information to customers about venues that may not accept resold tickets, was engaging in high-pressure sales tactics, and was not providing exact locations of seats and addresses of vendors.

September 2021: Viagogo Purchase Finalized

In September 2021, the purchase by Viagogo was finalized.

2022: Previous IPO delays in 2022

In 2022 there was a previous delay in the StubHub initial public offering

2022: StubHub Closes Offices and Appoints Nayaab Islam President

In 2022, StubHub closed its offices in Hong Kong and San Francisco. Nayaab Islam was named company president that year.

2024: Lawsuit Filed Against StubHub for Drip Pricing

In 2024, Attorney General for the District of Columbia Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against StubHub alleging the company was using drip pricing and a countdown clock to create a false sense of urgency, thereby misleading customers.

2024: StubHub Holdings revenue

In 2024, StubHub Holdings had revenues of US$1.77 billion.

2024: Previous IPO delays in early 2024

In early 2024 there was a previous delay in the StubHub initial public offering

September 2025: StubHub Holdings becomes a public company via an initial public offering

In September 2025, StubHub Holdings became a public company via an initial public offering. The IPO came after previous delays in 2022 and early 2024.