Global Payments Inc. has entered a multi-year exclusive payment technology partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Global Payments will serve as the exclusive payment provider for Tampa Aby Lightning. It will cover food and beverage, retail, and ticketing services at AMALIE Arena, the home of the NHL franchise. This will be Global Payments’ fourth relationship with an NHL franchise.
Expanding Footprint Across Premium Venues
Global Payments’ role in busy environments has made it a trusted partner in sports and entertainment.
The company now provides and supports commerce and payment in over 160 stadiums and arenas around the world. These venues host the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and elite college football.
This represents a wider trend across the industry. Stadium partnerships have progressed beyond point-of-sale systems. They are now providing data analytics, mobile commerce, frictionless checkout, and embedded finance solutions. Examples like in-app payments, digital wallets, and instant financing options.
As per PaymentsDive, competitors are also scaling rapidly, with Shift4 powering payments at over 150 venues in the U.S.A..
Square and Fiserv’s Clover are also doing deals with stadiums, including SoFi Stadium and AT&T Stadium. This competition to control the fan-commerce experience at live events is growing..
Expanding a Tradition of Fan Engagement
From the start, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vinik Sports Group have embraced a model that focuses on the fans.
They have always consistently received high marks on NHL fan experience surveys and pushed meaningful attendance at AMALIE Arena. The Lightning have successfully balanced winning on the ice with winning in the hospitality department.
On the heels of this new partnership with Global Payments, they want to expand that concept of hospitality and fan experience.
The team wants to take advantage of cloud-enabled platforms, contactless solutions, and real-time insights using data. using technology to simplify the fan experience and journey across all touchpoints – from the time of ticket purchase to season ticket member purchases for food and merchandise.
Thanks to a partnership with Global Payments, those day-to-day transactions are more efficient, seamless, and interconnected.
Seamless Gametime Transactions
The fan experience for the Tampa Bay Lightning extends beyond simple on-ice interactions – it carries on to every touchpoint inside AMALIE Arena. Each experience, ticket purchases, concessions, merchandise purchases- all shape how fans remember, positively or negatively, the visit.
Vinik Sports Group, the parent company of the Lightning, manages all operations at AMALIE Arena, as well as leading the charge to create these alterations. Casey Rodgers, CFO of Vinik Sports Group, commented on the value of Global Payments for Lightning fans:
“We continue to seek ways to improve the gameday experience for our fans, and Global Payments is a partner to facilitate that.
From the moment a fan buys a ticket to grabbing food and beverages, or stopping by the team store, each transaction shapes how a fan feels about their time in our building. Global Payments takes the complexity away from those transactions and helps keep things moving throughout the arena.”
Transporting Innovation in Sports Commerce
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Global Payments partnership demonstrates how today’s sports organizations are implementing emerging payment systems to improve the experience of fans.
Global Payments brings proven stadium-grade proficiency to AMALIE Arena – supported by its virtually unmatched footprint throughout many of the world’s most active venues.
In providing a commerce platform designed to manage high-volume commerce, the company offers faster transactions and smoother experiences, from ticketing to concessions to merchandise.
Elevating the Experience Through Contactless and Digital Wallets
As fan expectations have changed, digital wallets and contactless have become two baseline features for live events. Contactless globally accounts for around half of all in-store transactions, and its use is expected to grow considerably in the years ahead.
In partnership with Global Payments, the Tampa Bay Lightning demonstrates how modern sports organizations are transforming their fans’ experience.
In stadium environments, the potential of the technology has been game-changing. A comprehensive industry analysis states that cash-free and low-touch systems are now seen as the safest mode of payment option by their fans.
These types of systems can reduce fan wait times by up to 50% and increase per fan spending 15%–30% more per fan – a significant win for convenience as well as revenue.
In response to these insights, Global Payments has equipped the Lightning with its entire library of modern commerce tools, including mobile wallets, tap-to-pay systems (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and tokenized NFC systems, to allow fans to get through lines faster and make secure payments with a quick tap or wave.
Attuned to Fan Behaviors
Digital wallets do not just allow for faster transactions but fit to how fans want to operate in an increasingly digital world.
Consumers want the convenience and security of contactless payments, and these systems, at scale, enable smoother operations inside venues.
With over 142 million contactless-enabled cards and terminals in use in markets such as the UK, contactless payments are both demonstrably effective and commonplace.
Key Takeaways
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s relationship with Global Payments is among the most potent examples of how technology is forging the future of fan engagement and venue operations.
The total integration of advanced commerce solutions into AMALIE Arena is creating a gameday experience that is faster, safer, and closely aligned with current consumer participation expectations.
Some major takeaways from this partnership:
Seamless Transactions Matter:
From ticketing to concessions, every transaction matters. When obstacles are removed to create seamless transactions for the fan, satisfaction is greater. Satisfaction = loyalty.
Digital Wallets are the Norm:
Contactless payments and the adoption of mobile wallets reflect a shift in consumer behaviour. In venues, digital payments have become the dominant means of transaction.
Data-Driven Fan Experience Engagement:
While speed is paramount, these payment systems collect highly valuable insights contributing to the ability for teams to understand and respond to fans’ dreams and desires.
Sports as a Technology Leader:
Tactics such as those seen in this partnership between the Lightning and Global Payments, professional sports franchises like the Lightning are improving the experience for their fans.
It has established new standards for the sport and event entertainment industries as a whole.
Overall, the Lightning demonstrated a larger trend: commerce innovation is now a necessity (not a “nice-to-have” or something to “consider”) in sports.
It has created a strategic advantage for organizations wanting to be pertinent and competitive in a landscape that is changing faster than we can keep up with.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Global Payments partnership shows how technology is evolving the fan experience. This organization is improving the sports commerce standard by simplifying and modernizing the transaction.
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