#TBF25 Q&A: Competing for space in a crowded sporting sector

More than three million people in England play netball annually, but the sport still has to jostle for space in a crowded events space.

Innovative strategies are essential for the sport to attract audiences and excel among competitors that are targeting similar demographics.

Prior to TheTicketingBusiness Forum 2025, which begins in Manchester on April 28, we spoke to England Netball Ticketing Manager, Samuel Boyden, to find out how the organisation can compete.

What projects are you currently working on?

Samuel Boyden: “This year saw us launch the Netball Super Cup, which took place at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield on March 8 and coming up is the Grand Final at The O2.

“The international calendar for 2025/2026 is currently being worked through as well, with multiple nations and venues in the pipeline.”

What are your aims for 2025?

SB: “For the newly relaunched Netball Super League (NSL), we are aiming for an NSL record attendance at the Grand Final, with a focus on groups and experiences to help us achieve this target.

“We are also working towards a sustainable model at England Netball, with ticketing taking a crucial role in this as we look towards all ticketing being delivered via our new England Netball Tickets app.”

What’s the next challenge for you and your team?

SB: “Venue availability for 2025/26 is proving challenging right now, with venues quickly being booked by other sports and promoters.

“This is proving to be our main challenge right now, as without a venue we cannot hold any events.

“I am confident we will have these venues ironed out within the next month, but ensuring these are in the correct location and at a price that works for everyone is crucial to our event model.”

What is the most exciting development in the industry for you right now?

SB: “I think the most exciting development within the industry right now is how quickly blockchain, NFT and other forms of entry (fingerprint/facial recognition) are developing and ever increasing talked about as a highly viable option for venues.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t something that we here at England Netball have much input into due to not owning our venue/s, however we can utilise some of these methods with our ticket delivery options.

“With our recently launched app, we are now able to use blockchain technology to help make our events become more secure and stop the possibilities of ticket bots and touts gaining access to our tickets.”

Explore the future of ticketing with Samuel Boyden and hundreds of other industry leaders at #TBF25 at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from April 28-30. BOOK TODAY.