Qcue Brings Dynamic Pricing to Major League Soccer

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Qcue, the dynamic pricing engine for live entertainment, today announced the Chicago Fire Soccer Club is the first Major League Soccer (MLS) team to implement dynamic ticket pricing. The Fire is using Qcue’s proven solution throughout the 2011 season, across all 20,000 seats in TOYOTA PARK. Qcue will help the team manage its pricing strategy, driving revenues and maximizing fan value.

“The addition of the Chicago Fire and Major League Soccer to our roster proves the versatility of our solution. Regardless of the entertainment event, Qcue delivers the flexibility organizations need to adjust to changing market conditions, maximize attendance and drive revenues.”

“Chicago is an avid sports town with a rich history and loyal fans,” said Mike Ernst, Chicago Fire Director of Ticket Sales. “This year we’re seeing the strongest season ticket sales since the team’s inception, and with Qcue’s dynamic pricing solution, we hope to draw even more fans to the matches to experience the thrills of Major League Soccer.”

The Fire’s MLS schedule includes 34 regular season matches, with 17 played at home.

Qcue’s software-based turnkey solution helps teams analyze sales data and other external pricing variables, aiding sales and revenue projections, and providing strong reporting capabilities in addition to its core of market-based price recommendations. Additional integration provides automation to update price changes in the team’s Ticketmaster system. With Qcue, thousands of price changes take just a few minutes.

“Soccer is a perfect opportunity for dynamic pricing. It’s a thrilling sport that is quickly gaining in popularity across the U.S. and Canada,” said Eric Freeland, vice president of business development for Qcue. “The addition of the Chicago Fire and Major League Soccer to our roster proves the versatility of our solution. Regardless of the entertainment event, Qcue delivers the flexibility organizations need to adjust to changing market conditions, maximize attendance and drive revenues.”

Soccer is the latest sport to utilize dynamic pricing, a strategy that is quickly becoming a must-have for live entertainment organizations. In 2008, Qcue first introduced dynamic pricing to Major League Baseball (MLB). Today, it is being used by teams throughout MLB, the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and NASCAR.

About Chicago Fire Soccer Club

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club was founded on October 8, 1997 as a Major League Soccer expansion team. The Fire won the MLS Cup in its inaugural season in 1998 and was crowned the champion of U.S. Soccer's national tournament, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. In June 2006, the Fire moved into its world-class home of TOYOTA PARK, located in Bridgeview, IL. For more information on the Chicago Fire, please visit the club’s official website at www.Chicago-Fire.com.

About TOYOTA PARK

Located 15 minutes from downtown Chicago and minutes from Midway airport off of I-55 on Harlem Avenue, TOYOTA PARK is the Midwest’s preeminent outdoor live entertainment and sporting facility. Opened in 2006, TOYOTA PARK not only serves as the home of the Chicago Fire, but also hosts a variety of sporting events, special events and concerts by national and international artists. In 2010, TOYOTA PARK hosted Jimmy Buffett and Phish, while welcoming back Eric Clapton and his Crossroads tour.

About Qcue

Qcue is reinventing the primary ticket marketplace with dynamic pricing and inventory management solutions for live entertainment events. Sports teams, concert promoters and venues use Qcue’s patent-pending technology to set the right price at the right time and provide the best value for fans, from the date of on-sale to the date of the event. Customers and partners include leading franchises across Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and NASCAR. Founded in 2007, Qcue is based in Austin, Texas. For more information on Qcue, visit www.qcue.com.