Audience Rewards, a loyalty programme for theatres on Broadway, has celebrated $1bn (£800m/€900m) worth of ticket sales.
The scheme was founded in 2008 by theatre powerhouses the Nederlander Organization, Shubert Organization and Jujamcyn, as well as the Independent Presenters Network and Broadway Across America.
Audience Rewards allows theatre fans to purchase tickets and earn ‘ShowPoints’ with each order, which can be redeemed for more Broadway tickets, merchandise and other experiences. After 15 years, the programme boasts a membership base of roughly three million.
Charles Flateman, Audience Rewards chief executive and executive vice-president for the Shubert Organization, told Broadway News: “It all began out of a desire to reward our most loyal customers for the entire brand of Broadway. Everybody recognised then, as we recognise now, that the shows themselves are the primary draw for Broadway. We knew from the beginning that for a loyalty programme to work, we all had to be in the tent together.”
The scheme has also helped to gain a better understanding of fans across shows and ticketing systems. It means that it can be used as a marketing tool as opposed to just handing out discounts.
Over the last 15 years, Broadway News reported that members spent roughly 20% more per ticket than a non-member buyer, as they were enticed by the reward points.
The $1bn in Broadway ticket sales equates to roughly 7.5 million tickets sold and members have also redeemed points for 120,000 additional tickets.
Members also have access to pre-sales and additional experiences such as Q&As, and in 2018, Audience Rewards introduced a VIP membership tier.