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No guarantee, no admission: Ticket platform loses in court
Those who purchase tickets for soccer games via platforms such as Viagogo often pay a lot—and in the worst case, still find themselves standing outside the stadium gates. Now, Karlsruher SC has achieved an important legal victory against precisely this practice. The Mannheim Regional Court has prohibited Viagogo from selling unauthorized tickets for KSC games.
At the same time, the platform must clearly indicate in future that tickets purchased through it do not automatically entitle the holder to access the stadium. This is a clear signal—and not an isolated case: 1. FC Union Berlin and FC St. Pauli also successfully fought against the resale of their tickets.
Overpriced and invalid: the risk is borne by the fan
The background to the dispute is a problem familiar to many soccer fans: games sell out quickly, official channels report that "there are no more tickets available" – and platforms such as Viagogo suddenly offer the same tickets at completely inflated prices. Often without consulting the club. For buyers, this means a double risk: they pay more, but have no guarantee that the tickets are even valid.
This is precisely where the court saw clear misleading behavior. Anyone selling tickets must disclose whether they actually entitle the holder to admission. According to the ruling, Viagogo failed to do so—and must now respond.
KSC sends a clear message: Only official is certain
KSC welcomes the decision and announces that it will continue to crack down on the black market. Spokesman Michael Becker emphasizes that the club wants to continue protecting fans from inflated prices and dubious offers in the future.
The aim is to ensure that ticket sales take place where they belong: on the club's official channels. There, fair prices and legal certainty apply. At the same time, the club is calling on fans to use legal channels for reselling tickets among themselves—for example, via the club's internal ticket exchanges or approved platforms.
How we classify the facts
When a ticket becomes a gamble, something is seriously wrong. Viagogo and other companies are profiting from the uncertainty of fans—using non-transparent methods, high markups, and without any guarantees. It was long overdue for a court to set clear boundaries. And yet, there remains a bitter aftertaste: such rulings should not be necessary in the first place. Soccer thrives on its fans—not on middlemen. Anyone who sells tickets must ensure that they are valid, fairly priced, and legally sound. Anything else has no place on the playing field.
Source: sport1.de
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