Ticketmaster has partnered with Avenged Sevenfold (pictured) to offer fans NFT-gated pre-sale tickets for the metal band’s upcoming tour dates in the US and Canada.
Avenged Sevenfold already have their own NFT (non-fungible token) community fan club called Deathbats Club. The band partnered with Ticketmaster to integrate the fan club into the ticketing platform’s system, which will give fans priority access to tickets and added security.
The band launched Deathbats Club in 2021. The club features a collection of 10,000 NFTs with unique traits that unlocked real-life experiences and perks, including care packages, meet-and-greets and now early-access ticketing.
David Marcus, Ticketmaster’s executive vice-president of global music, said in a statement to Billboard: “Avenged Sevenfold used the capability to offer first access to tickets, but there are a variety of ways it can be used by artists in the future. From unlocking premier seats to special experiences like sitting in on soundcheck.”
Fans will need to connect a crypto wallet to their Ticketmaster account and will have additional security through crypto verification. Deathbats Club NFT holders already have access to an exclusive pre-sale that will run until later today (Tuesday) for all tour dates.
Certain sections are reserved in each venue for members of the Deathbats Club.
Marcus added: “Token-gated ticket sales are available as part of our expanding Web3 services and other features that help artists set their own terms on how tickets get to fans.
“Any artist who is minting their own NFTs or partnering with another independent community can explore with token-gated ticketing now.”