Online ticket marketplace viagogo to sue HSV for €200,000

Online ticket marketplace viagogo has commenced legal proceedings against Hamburger SV football club, seeking to recover €200,000 in damages resulting from a breach of contract and pledging to donate all the proceeds from the lawsuit back to HSV fans.

viagogo signed a deal in September 2012 to be HSV’s official secondary ticketing partner, but the ticket marketplace claims that the agreement was not honoured by HSV and the contract was terminated in December 2012.

HSV later announced that it would be increasing season ticket prices “to compensate for the loss in revenue” from the partnership.

“We were very reluctant to sue HSV, but they did not honour their contract, and integrity is important to us,” said viagogo spokesperson Steve Roest.

“However, we would like some good to come from this. We are therefore pledging to give all proceeds from the lawsuit back to HSV fans to reduce their season ticket prices.

“On viagogo, fans can buy or sell tickets to any sports or music event, whether we have a partnership in place or not. In fact, thousands of HSV fans continue to use our service to buy and sell HSV tickets and it remains one of our most popular German clubs.

“However, we also have successful partnerships in place with 10 clubs in the Bundesliga, including Bayern Munich, Schalke and Stuttgart.

“These and many other European clubs recognise we enable them to control their secondary ticket sales, as well as allowing them to benefit from revenue that would otherwise have gone to the black market.”

viagogo is also seeking a public apology from the Bundesliga club.