Two Circles, the international digital-focused sports agency, has teamed up with golf’s European Tour and Ryder Cup Europe to launch Tour Consumer Experiences, a company that will drive the sales and marketing of tickets and premium packages at prominent events for the next 11 years.
The new venture will focus on the next three editions of the biennial Ryder Cup to to be held in Europe, starting with the 2023 event at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, and including the 2027 contest at Adare Manor in Ireland.
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The Ryder Cup, a team contest between Europe and the USA, is one of the most high-profile events in golf and attracts around 40,000 spectators to each day's play.
Tour Consumer Experiences will also take in the BMW PGA Championship held in England and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, two of the European Tour’s premium Rolex Series events, and several other annual tournaments, as the organisers prepare to welcome spectators again after restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19.
The partners said the tie-up will "see the introduction of innovative new products that enhance the event experience and grow ticketing and premium revenue".
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The venture brings together personnel from the three organisations covering marketing, data and insight, premium sales and ticketing operations, with UK-based Two Circles, which is owned by USA-based Bruin Capital, to invest “significant resources”.
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By GlobalDataTour Consumer Experiences is already up and running, claiming a record-breaking first weekend of sales for the 2021 PGA Championship, which will be held at its established home of Wentworth, the headquarters of the European Tour, from 9 to 12 September.
Guy Kinnings, deputy chief executive and chief commercial officer of the European Tour and Ryder Cup director, said on Friday: "We are delighted to announce this venture with Two Circles. Fans are one of the key drivers behind the success of our events, in particular The Ryder Cup, and we look forward to working with Two Circles to develop consumer experiences for all spectators at our tournaments.
“We have seen remarkable increases of fan engagement with the European Tour and Ryder Cup Europe over the last 12 months, despite not being able to have fans on the ground at our events, and this will help us tailor our general admission ticketing strategies and premium on-site experiences for supporters of elite golf in Europe.”
Gareth Balch, the chief executive of Two Circles, added: “Globally there is a huge and growing demand for live experiences, and sport offers that rare mix of unscripted drama with a fantastic day out with friends and family. When it comes to unscripted drama in a unique setting, The Ryder Cup is up there with the best of the best.
“We’re hugely excited to be embarking on this new venture with the European Tour and Ryder Cup Europe. Together, by using deep fan insight to evolve eventday products and how they are marketed, we believe we will deliver even more unforgettable fan experiences across golf.”
Two Circles has worked with various rights holders and event organisers to maximise ticket sales, and, in addition to the European Tour, its clients include The R&A, the organiser of golf’s British Open, soccer’s Uefa and English Premier League, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the home of the Wimbledon championships, and the NFL.
The company has offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Bern.
