History of StubHub in Timeline

StubHub is a prominent American ticket resale marketplace, functioning as both a secondary and primary ticket vendor. As a subsidiary of StubHub Holdings, which also owns Viagogo, it facilitates the buying and selling of tickets for various events, including sports games, concerts, and theater performances. StubHub generates revenue by charging fees to both buyers and sellers. It aims to provide a secure and convenient platform for individuals to access events and for ticket holders to resell their tickets.

March 2000: StubHub Incorporated

In March 2000, Eric Baker and Jeff Fluhr incorporated StubHub in San Francisco to act as an online secondhand event ticket marketplace.

August 2000: StubHub 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 Sports Team Deal

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

2002: eBay Acquisition Talks

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

2004: Baker Leaves StubHub

In 2004, Eric Baker left StubHub due to a falling out with Jeff Fluhr over company direction, retaining a 10 percent ownership stake.

2005: Positive Cash Flow

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

November 2006: New England Patriots Lawsuit

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 Season Ticket Revocations

In 2006, more than 100 New York Yankees season-ticket holders suspected of reselling their regular-season seats on StubHub received letters denying them the right to buy playoff tickets and barring them from buying season tickets for the 2007 season. The New York Yankees revoked the season tickets of those who resold them on StubHub.

2006: Ticket Sales on the Platform

In 2006, the value of tickets sold on the platform was approximately US$400 million and it generated approximately US$100 million in revenue. The company employed approximately 350 people at 12 locations.

2007: Acquisition and Leadership Change

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

2007: MLB Partnership

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

2007: StubHub Acquired by eBay

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

2007: Continued Conflict with Yankees

In 2007, The New York Yankees continued to revoke the season tickets of those who resold them on StubHub.

2007: Ticketmaster Lawsuit

In 2007, Ticketmaster sued StubHub for offering "official premium tickets" to events for which Ticketmaster had exclusivity deals, claiming StubHub intentionally interfered with Ticketmaster's venue contracts.

2008: Annual Ticket Sales

By 2008, StubHub was selling approximately US$5 billion in tickets annually and partnered with 30 college and professional sports teams, including those in the NFL and NBA.

2009: Patriots Lawsuit Settled

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

May 2011: Entertainment Partnerships

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

December 2011: UK Pilot Program

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

March 2012: Full UK Operations

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

December 2012: Criticism for Ticket Scalping

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.

2012: MLB Partnership Renewal

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 Lawsuit

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

2013: College Sports Partnerships

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

2013: "All-in" Pricing

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

November 2014: Tsakalakis Resignation

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

November 2015: Antitrust Lawsuit Dismissed

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

2015: "All-in" Pricing Reversed

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

2015: UK Secondary Ticket Rules

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: Annual Revenue

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

November 9, 2017: Scalping Operations Report

According to a November 9, 2017, article published in The Toronto Star, Julien Lavallée was able to expand his ticket reselling business using "exploitative tactics" that "gam[e] the ticket marketplace."

2017: Jersey Advertisement Patch

In 2017, StubHub signed a 3-year, US$15 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to put a patch on players' jerseys, marking the first company to purchase a jersey advertisement patch with one of the big four American sports leagues.

2017: CMA Raids StubHub 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: Commitment to Improve Information

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

2018: Annual Ticket Sales and Leadership Change

In 2018, StubHub sold US$4.75 billion worth of tickets in 44 countries. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy was named company president, replacing Scott Cutler.

November 2019: Viagogo to Purchase StubHub

In November 2019, it was announced that Viagogo, the company Eric Baker founded after leaving StubHub, would purchase StubHub for US$4.05 billion.

February 2020: Sale Completed

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

2020: "All-in" Pricing Advocacy

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

2020: StubHub Repurchased by Viagogo

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

2020: CMA Concerns

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: Purchase by Viagogo Finalized

In September 2021, the purchase of StubHub by Viagogo was finalized, and both were placed under the management of a new company, StubHub Holdings. StubHub was required to sell its operations outside North America.

2022: Office Closures and New President

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

2024: Lawsuit Filed by DC Attorney General

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.