François Westcombe on the Future of Sports Ticketing
More than 100 clients across 15 sports now work with Ticketmaster Sport, from grassroots clubs to the NFL, the Premier League and the RFL Championship. As that portfolio grows, ticketing is doing more for clubs, leagues and venues. It’s no longer just about getting fans through the gates.
François Westcombe joins as Managing Director of Ticketmaster Sport EMEA on 7th October. He has spent more than 11 years working with rights holders including FIFA, UEFA, the Bundesliga, The R&A, Six Nations, the NFL and the IOC, most recently at IMG. Here’s how he sees the opportunity ahead.
Ticketing Now Sits at the Heart of the Fan Relationship
“Ticketing is evolving rapidly,” says Westcombe. “It is no longer just about selling tickets or providing a platform. It increasingly sits at the heart of the relationship between sports organisations and their fans – where interest becomes commitment.”
For partners, that shift opens up three clear opportunities:
- Better audience insight: every ticket sold shows who fans are, how they behave, and what brings them back
- A more connected digital estate: ticketing linking to CRM, membership, marketing and matchday operations
- Improved loyalty: fans getting what they want, when they want it – that smooth user journey from purchase to entry that keeps fans coming back season after season
Why the Fan Perspective Matters
Ask Westcombe which sporting moment still gives him goosebumps and the answer comes quickly: Kieran Trippier’s free kick against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final. The moment he wishes he’d experienced in person? Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. And there are still a few iconic venues on the list, with the Bernabéu and San Siro among those yet to be ticked off. That passion as a fan shapes how he thinks about the industry, too.
“Never underestimate how much people care,” he says. “For a fan, a match or event might be something they’ve been looking forward to for months, or even years. Everyone working in sport has a responsibility to remember what that experience means to the person on the other side of the ticket.”
Behind every ticket is someone counting down the days. Making sure their experience lives up to that anticipation is ultimately what the job is about.
Building on Strong Momentum
Westcombe joins after one of Ticketmaster Sport’s strongest years to date, including:
- Work with the Commonwealth Games 2026
- New partnerships with FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, Dubai Racing and Dutch football club Go Ahead Eagles
- The Khaleeji Arabian Dyar 27, which will mark Ticketmaster’s first SafeTix rollout in the Gulf
His first few months will be focused on listening, getting to know the team, spending time with clients and understanding where Ticketmaster Sport can make the biggest difference.
“The one thing I most want to hear from clients is, ‘You understand what matters to us,’” he says. “That tells me we’ve listened, asked the right questions, understood their business and earned their trust.”
For Westcombe, that’s where the next chapter starts. not with assumptions about what sports organisations need, but by asking the right questions and then using those answers to improve the service and solution.
Talk to Ticketmaster Sport
If you’re thinking about what’s next for your ticketing strategy, we’d love to hear what matters to you. Talk to the Ticketmaster Sport team to start the conversation.
