UEFA Distributed Super Cup Tickets via Blockchain

UEFA, the administrative body for football in Europe, has distributed all of the tickets for this week’s UEFA Super Cup match via a blockchain.

According to the official UEFA press release, the organization wants to make the ticket sales process simpler and safer and provide secure ticket distribution to prevent the replication and duplication of tickets.

The new blockchain ticket distribution system was first used for this week’s Super Cup match in Tallinn between Real Madrid and Altetico de Madrid. All of the tickets sold to the general public were sold through a blockchain-based mobile application for iOS and Android devices.

The electronic tickets will be checked through mobile Bluetooth devices on the stadium doors. The stadium in Tallinn has a relatively small capacity of around 12 000 seats and Estonia has the reputation of a very internet-friendly country, thus easing UEFA’s introduction.

Before that, the system has been tested and fine-tuned several times and 50% of the tickets for the 2018 UEFA Europa League final between Atletico and Marseille in Lyon were distributed through the new blockchain app.

UEFA notes it will continue to develop the new ticket distribution system further and is planning to use it at future football matches.

Blockchain-ticket distribution is yet another application of the technology outside of finance. Recently, the global shipping giant Maersk teamed up with IBM to create a blockchain system for shipping tracking, while the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), again in partnership with IBM, is testing blockchain for the insurance industry. Another Australian bank, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), is testing a blockchain system for tracking almond supplies.