In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg, CEO and Co-Founder of TicketCo. TicketCo began as a solution to outdated ticketing infrastructure in Norway’s event industry and has evolved into one of Europe’s fastest-growing sports ticketing platforms. What started as a necessity for their own mountain festival has grown into a company that holds monopoly positions in Norwegian sports and is rapidly expanding across the UK and Ireland. Moberg shares how they disrupted an industry dominated by legacy providers through strategic focus, innovative pricing models, and community building that elevates the often-overlooked heroes of the ticketing world.

Topics Discussed:

• Transitioning from broad event ticketing to sports-only focus for market dominance

• Building subscription-based season ticket models to reduce churn and increase revenue

• Creating the world’s largest ticketing community through “Don’t Forget Your Tickets”

• Geographic expansion strategy prioritizing podium positions over market presence

• Consumer behavior differences across global markets (China, US, UK)

• AI implementation for predictive pricing and sellout forecasting

• B2B brand positioning versus consumer marketplace strategies

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Focus Beats Breadth for Market Domination

TicketCo’s pivot from general event ticketing to sports-only focus demonstrates the power of vertical specialization. When a Premier League club specifically sought them out despite their lack of sports focus, they recognized that deep specialization would create more defensible market positions than broad horizontal coverage. This allowed them to develop sports-specific terminology, hire industry experts, and build deeper customer relationships.

Subscription Models Can Transform Traditional Purchase Behaviors

TicketCo revolutionized season ticket sales by introducing monthly subscription models instead of annual lump-sum payments. This Netflix-inspired approach reduced customer churn by lowering financial barriers and creating continuous engagement through perks and events. The model increased revenue per seat while making premium experiences accessible to broader demographics like students.

Build Communities Around Underappreciated Stakeholders

The “Don’t Forget Your Tickets” community elevates ticketing managers – professionals who receive criticism when things go wrong but little recognition when events succeed. By creating podcasts, events at Emirates Stadium, and educational initiatives for these “heroes,” TicketCo built authentic relationships with key decision-makers while differentiating from competitors focused solely on technology.

Geographic Market Research Reveals Localization Opportunities

TicketCo’s consumer research across China, US, and UK revealed dramatically different purchasing priorities: discounts in China, security in the UK, and deal-focused messaging in the US. This geographic insight allows them to customize customer journeys and messaging while maintaining core platform functionality across markets.

League-Level Sales Strategies Accelerate Market Penetration

Rather than pursuing individual clubs, TicketCo shifted to league-level partnerships that provide access to all member clubs simultaneously. This approach dramatically shortened sales cycles and created more efficient expansion into new markets, allowing them to achieve podium positions (top 3) before moving to next territories.

API-First Architecture Enables Brand Ownership

TicketCo’s decision to remain invisible to consumers while providing APIs for clubs to build custom experiences recognizes that modern brands want to control their customer journey. Rather than competing with their customers for brand recognition, they enable clubs to integrate ticketing seamlessly with merchandise, food, and other revenue streams.

Use Data Volume for Predictive Intelligence

Processing 15-20 million tickets annually provides TicketCo with massive datasets for AI-powered pricing optimization and sellout predictions. This data advantage creates competitive moats while providing actionable intelligence that helps sports organizations maximize revenue and capacity utilization.