History of StubHub in Timeline

StubHub is a major global ticket exchange and resale company facilitating the buying and selling of tickets for sports, concerts, theater, and other live events. It is the world's largest ticket reseller having brokered 450 million tickets. Accessible through websites and mobile apps, StubHub is expanding beyond secondary sales into primary ticket issuance, advertising, sports merchandising, sports betting, and leisure experiences.

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: Seed Funding

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

June 2006: Bill Passage for Anti-Scalping Laws

In Florida, in June 2006, a bill to amend Florida's 61-year-old anti-scalping laws passed, resulting in 35 states having no restrictions on ticket resale.

January 2007: eBay Acquisition

In January 2007, eBay acquired StubHub for $310 million, marking a significant milestone for the company.

October 19, 2007: Court Upholds Order Forcing StubHub

On October 19, 2007, a court upheld an order forcing StubHub to turn over a list of all New England Patriots season ticket holders since 2002 who had used the site, which could lead to the stripping of their seats.

2007: Ticketmaster Lawsuit

In 2007, Ticketmaster filed a lawsuit against StubHub and eBay, alleging "intentional interference" with Ticketmaster's contractual rights.

2008: Music Becomes Priority

By 2008, StubHub had grown into a $5 billion-a-year business. In 2008, the company announced that music-related sales had experienced the largest growth and that music had become a "priority".

April 2009: Masters Badges Price Decline

In April 2009, StubHub reported that the price of second round Masters badges had declined by 43% from $1,073 in 2008 to $612 in 2009.

May 2011: Official Partnerships

By May 2011, StubHub had established 62 official partnerships, which included the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Boston Red Sox, and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

July 2011: Mobile App Launch for Windows Phone

In July 2011, StubHub launched a mobile app specifically designed for Microsoft Windows Phone users.

March 2012: UK Site Launch

In March 2012, StubHub launched its full site in the UK and announced plans to open stores in London and near major venues for last-minute ticket sales.

December 2012: MLB Partnership Agreements

By December 2012, about half of the 30 MLB teams had separate partnership agreements with StubHub, though several teams such as the Los Angeles Angels did not renew their deals.

January 2013: The Rising Stars Program Launch

In January 2013, StubHub launched "The Rising Stars program", offering grants for locally based, grassroots organizations to aid youth in sporting and artistic development.

January 2013: Merging Process

In January 2013, the merging process of eBay and StubHub began, when listings on StubHub also appeared in search results on the eBay UK's tickets category.

April 2013: Pricing Structure Established

In April 2013, a new pricing structure was established, and the fee will be displayed upfront without going through an auction.

May 2013: Retiring Ticket Categories on eBay UK

In May 2013 eBay announced that it will retire some of its ticket categories on its UK website and will redirect users to the StubHub website to purchase them.

May 2013: Sponsorship Deal with Jockey Club Racecourses

In May 2013, StubHub signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Jockey Club Racecourses to trade tickets on Sandown Park, Epsom Downs and Kempton Park Racecourse.

2013: Naming Rights to StubHub Center

From 2013, StubHub owned the naming rights to the home pitch of the Los Angeles Galaxy, which was renamed "StubHub Center".

November 4, 2014: President Resignation

On November 4, 2014, Tsakalakis resigned from his position as president and was replaced by Scott Cutler.

September 2015: Ticket Prices Display Change

In September 2015, StubHub announced that it would no longer present inclusive ticket prices with fees and other charges included, switching to a practice where a user has the choice to have a lower price displayed at first and fees added at checkout, or fees displayed upfront.

May 16, 2016: Philadelphia 76ers Jersey Sponsorship Deal

On May 16, 2016, the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA announced a three-year jersey sponsorship deal with StubHub to take effect beginning in the 2017–18 season, marking the first time a team in the four major North American sports leagues sold a jersey sponsorship.

June 2016: British Compliance Review

In June 2016, the British Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a compliance review of the four main secondary ticketing platform websites in the UK, including StubHub.

December 2016: BOTS Act Signed Into Law

In December 2016, the Better Online Ticket Sales, or BOTS, Act was signed into law by President Obama. The law makes using bots to purchase tickets under certain circumstances illegal.

August 2017: CMA Raids StubHub's London Office

In August 2017, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raided StubHub's London office and confiscated records related to touts selling mass quantities of tickets.

October 2017: Lavallée used his company to post on StubHub in the U.K.

Prior to October 2017, Julien Lavallée used his company, I Want Ticket Inc, which was "registered on the British Isle of Man, to post on StubHub in the U.K."

November 9, 2017: Article Published 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."

November 2017: No Charges Laid Against StubHub

By November 2017, no charges had been laid against StubHub after the CMA raided StubHub's London office in August 2017.

2017: StubHub Jersey Sponsorship Takes Effect

In 2017, StubHub's three-year jersey sponsorship deal with the Philadelphia 76ers took effect, marking the first time an NBA team had a jersey sponsorship.

2017: Incentivizing Bot Operators Controversy

In late 2017, the Canadian press reported that StubHub was incentivizing high sales volumes, potentially incentivizing bot operators. A "superscalper", Lavallée, exposed in the Paradise Papers, was used as an example.

2019: End of Naming Rights to StubHub Center

In 2019, StubHub's ownership of the naming rights to the home pitch of the Los Angeles Galaxy, known as "StubHub Center", came to an end.

February 2020: Merger with Viagogo

In February 2020, StubHub merged with Viagogo in a $4.05 billion transaction, resulting in both platforms being owned by StubHub Holdings.

July 2022: Appointment of Nayaab Islam as President

In July 2022, Nayaab Islam was appointed as the new president of StubHub.

May 2023: Partnership with The Athletic

In May 2023, StubHub partnered with The Athletic to offer tickets for sale on The Athletic's website.

July 2024: D.C. Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against StubHub

In July 2024, the D.C. Attorney General filed a lawsuit against StubHub for drip pricing tactics, where the final price for tickets significantly exceeds the original quoted price due to additional fees.