Here’s a fascinating idea – Facebook looks to be partnering with Eventbrite to let users sell tickets to the 3.5 million events added to Facebook each month.
Earlier this month we confirmed that Facebook intends to sell tickets to its upcoming F8 developer conference through Eventbrite. But there was no indication that the partnership extended beyond that.
Then a reader noticed that facebook.eventbrite.com linked to a page showing the image above (the page has since been removed). The message says:
Collect money for your event with Eventbrite
Eventbrite is partnering with Facebook to enable you to collect money for your event. Your attendees pay with credit card and Eventbrite collects the money on your behalf and sends you a check when your event is over. We charge a small service fee for every ticket sold. 5.5% + $.99c, which attendees pay, costing you nothing.
Eventbrite has helped event organizers around the world sell over 10 million tickets. We’re excited to help you sell your and put some delightful cash in your pocket.
Like the F8 event, this is set up on Eventbrite’s site, and it seems likely that Facebook will send users there that want to monetize events, have them log in via Facebook Connect, and finish the process.
We interviewed Eventbrite founders Kevin Hartz and Julia Hartz last last year when they announced funding from Sequioia Capital. The company is growing fast and expects over $100 million in gross ticket sales this year.
A Facebook partnership would add a lot of flow to the service, obviously. And even though only a small percentage of events need ticket sales, lots of them want to give out free tickets. Eventbrite does that without any fee and calls it viral marketing.
When we asked Eventbrite’s Kevin Hartz about the screenshot he said Sorry, “Mike, can’t comment at this time/We never comment on deal speculation.” Facebook hasn’t yet responded to our request for comment.
Update: Facebook says “We’re always testing Connect implementations with various sites and have nothing to share at this time.”
Facebook actually partners with someone instead of just copying and building their own? now that’s news!
Thats because the transaction business is a lot harder then most people think.
“Thats because the transaction business is a lot harder then most people think”.
Nah… Typing “than” is way harder than that.
Everybody needs to earn.. Even twitter too..
Ticketmaster better find a way to partner with facebook. In another few years facebook could by a smaller ticket site, integrate it, and be a serious threat.
ticketmaster was acquired by live nation u retard
Now that’s a good idea. Facebook could easily partner with tons of other companies and have a strong business model. Facebook is almost like a big news network with super bowl numbers and should market themselves that way.
Facebook is going to make a lot of bank with this one.
this might be just a way event manager can add tickets to facebook event, this doesn’t require facebook partnership, i see all the time facebook event pages with ticket purchase links!
There’s room for plenty of profit there.
Displaying facebook connect button on the site makes them as facebook partner? If yes, all millions of sites who are displaying facebook connect can claim as they reached partnership with facebook, it’s hilarious to have TC article on facebook connect implementation
5.5% + 0.99c? Those charges seem high, doesn’t paypal charge around 3%?
The 5.5% =.99c is Eventbrites take. How much will facebook get per transaction?
Wow… So if your selling tickets for $30.00 a pop and expect just a few hundred people…
(30 x 300 = $9,000.00)
= $495.00 (5.5%)
= $297.00 (0.99)
Take that from the 9,000 and they take a total of 792.00 or 8.8%
Hey… At least they are setting the bar. Screw Paypal… Whose going to make any money off that? Have you seen their reseller program? Check it out when you get the chance.
Sometimes I speak too quickly… I will take phone calls and lick stamps for that kind of money.
At least they are setting the bar. That is all I meant.
You are off a zero on the per transaction fee part. It’s actually:
(30 x 300 = $9,000.00)
= $495.00 (5.5%)
= $29.70 (0.99×30)
Total: $524.70 (5.8%)
No, you are off a zero on the *per transaction* fee part cos it’s 300 transactions and not 30.
It should be interesting to see how this turns out. A partnership like that could be a great thing for both companies.
FB making money with something other than advertising….. impressive.
“looks to be partnering with” should be “looks to partner with”
This is a smart idea thanks for keeping us informed.
It was only a matter of time. With Facebook being the go-to social calendar system for most users, I imagine they’ve been watching to find out who would emerge with the best standalone calendaring system, then look for a way to partner and/or acquire. Props to Eventbrite for putting themselves in Facebook’s sights.
Check out http://www.facebook.com/eventpay
Our app has been selling tickets extending Facebook Events for a year now. This is a deeply integrated app and harnesses all the Facebook event features including feed reminders, invites, etc. Real time attendee reporting and our fees are much lower.
Please stay tuned for more features and enhancements.
MSS
Bet you’re delighted with this news then.
Is this a done deal or a rumor? Frankly, I don’t see Facebook cutting out all the apps out there that are in the ticketing space already using the API, Connect or both. So if Facebook wants to “encourage” people to use EventBrite, So what? Who cares? It all comes down to a better mousetrap. It seems to me that the best way for facebook to make money is to maje FB credits available to all vendors as a payment option. Why limit the space to one partner when they could reap the benefits of many competing apps and Connect implementations? I would certainly add FB Credits as a payment method when available across the board. ~MSS
Check out http://www.facebook.com/eventpay
Our app is tightly integrated with Facebook and works seamlessly with facebook events for selling tickets and promoting ticketed Facebook events. In addition to more features and flexibilty, EventPay app is much less expensive than other services. Call 813-258-0626 for a demo or more information. MSS
Screams “beta test”. If FB users really have a need to sell tix to their event, then win-win-win, else yet another thing that for whatever reason does not take off on FB. Probably why both sides are not commenting – test results not in yet.
Very good, I am delighted to hear this, lets see how the partnership goes
Now that’s a good idea. Facebook could easily partner with tons of other companies and have a strong business model. Facebook is almost like a big news network with super bowl numbers and should market themselves that way.
Looks like it’s true, and it’s either being rolled out or tested. Took a screenshot this morning. Setting up Eventbrite tickets appears as an option when creating or editing an event in Facebook. http://tumblr.com/xxc84ors6