SeatGeek is launching a new way to give ticketbuyers a better sense of exactly what they\u2019ll see from a given seat.
The new feature, called Pano, offers a 360-degree view of the empty venue \u2014 you can look around in all directions, Street View -style, and you can also jump to different parts of the stadium to compare the view from the different seats.
\u201cIt\u2019s super powerful comparing two different tickets,\u201d said software engineer Ed Kelley. \u201cIs it worth it to pay $20 to sit one section in front? You can see that inventory comparison \u2014 with interactive panoramas, it\u2019s almost like you\u2019re sitting there.\u201d
Kelley told me that the Panos are created by using a spherical DSLR camera and a robotic tripod to take hundreds of photos around the stadium, which are then stitched together to create a 3D model of the venue.
He emphasized that the Pano feature isn\u2019t replacing SeatGeek\u2019s 2D stadium maps. He said that over time, it could also incorporate other media like YouTube or Instagram videos to convey what the stadium is like when it\u2019s filled with cheering fans.
SeatGeek has already created its first model \u2014 Children\u2019s Mercy Park, the home of Sporting Kansas City. (You can explore the model here .)
Co-founder Russ D\u2019Souza told me that the company will continue rolling this out with more venues, starting with other participants in the SeatGeek Open program .
As for whether most fans really need such a detailed preview before buying a ticket, D\u2019Souza said that SeatGeek has consistently found that as it provides \u201ca more realistic understanding of what you\u2019re going to get at the venue,\u201d customers are more likely to make that purchase.<\/p>\n