Blue United Successfully Concludes the “2026 PIA North America Sports Business Study Tour”

Learning from the U.S. Sports Industry: A Practical Program on Ticketing, Gating, and Fan Marketing

NEW YORK, April 24, 2026 – Blue United Corporation, in collaboration with PIA Corporation (PIA), has successfully concluded the “2026 PIA North America Sports Business Study Tour.”

As one of Japan’s largest ticketing and membership platforms, PIA embarked on this exclusive business study program—realized after several months of preparation—with the objective of broadly acquiring insights from the U.S. sports industry and expanding its horizons to enhance its future services.

Acting as PIA’s exclusive representative, Blue United oversaw the entire program—from initial planning and design to on-the-ground operations, logistics coordination, and facilitating executive-level meetings across various sports organizations.

The primary focus of this tour went well beyond traditional facility tours of stadiums and arenas. Instead, it delved deeply into the software side: the latest business strategies implemented by a diverse array of sports organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Notably, the tour transcended sports, genders, and league hierarchies, encompassing not only top-tier leagues like MLB, NBA, NFL, and MLS, but also minor and independent leagues (AHL, USL), women’s professional sports (NWSL), and collegiate sports (NCAA).

Specifically, the delegation engaged in direct discussions with strategy and operations executives from each club, focusing on the following key themes:

• Ticketing & Gating: The strategic background of ticket platform transitions, utilization of the secondary (resale) market, dynamic pricing strategies, and the implementation and operational impact of entry technologies such as NFC/QR codes and facial recognition.
• Data Utilization & Fan Engagement: How clubs centralize acquired customer data (CRM) and in-venue purchasing data (POS) to directly drive repeat attendance for first-time visitors and elevate the overall fan experience at the stadium.

Over the course of 10 days (April 14–23, 2026), a total of 10 participants, including PIA members from various fields and Blue United staff, took part in this intensive program. The delegation gained profound insights from the local approach of driving business forward as sports clubs, regardless of their sport or category. We aim for the marketing concepts and knowledge acquired during this tour to be utilized in elevating the sports business landscape in Japan.

Visited Organizations:

• San Jose Barracuda (AHL / Tech CU Arena)
• Bay FC (NWSL / PayPal Park, etc.)
• Golden State Warriors (NBA / Chase Center)
• Oakland Roots SC (USL / Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, etc.)
• San Francisco Giants (MLB / Oracle Park)
• San Jose Earthquakes (MLS / PayPal Park)
• San Francisco 49ers (NFL / Club Office)
  (In addition to the above, the delegation also attended an NCAA college sports game.)

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make this program a reality. We remain committed to continuing our initiatives of sharing culture, insights, and networks through the sports business.