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Huddle Acquires Preptix to Create Nation’s Leading Ticket Provider for High School Sports

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Huddle and Preptix today announced a merger to create the nation’s largest and most innovative ticketing solution for the high school sports market. The combined company, Huddle, Inc., will be headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.  Huddle offers an integrated digital and paper ticketing solution for both state association post-season events and individual school regular season events. The Huddle leadership team will remain intact, while Jay Barker and Patrick Noles from Preptix will assume senior roles at Huddle.

Additionally, the NFHS Network has selected the merged company as its exclusive partner for a national rollout of a digital ticketing platform for high school sports. Combining the NFHS Network’s media assets with a digital ticketing platform will allow it to raise overall awareness of high school sports, build its subscriber base and create custom sponsorship programs for national brands.

Digital ticketing provides consumers with a convenient way to purchase and redeem tickets online or via a mobile phone. Digital tickets have become increasingly prevalent in the travel, sports and entertainment industries but have yet to materially impact the more than 450 million tickets sold annually to high school sporting events. High school is one of the largest markets in the world that doesn’t provide a digital ticketing option for fans.

“As we grow GoFanTM, our digital ticketing platform, to augment the 150 million paper tickets we deliver annually to over 9,000 schools and 18 state associations, we’re thrilled to have Preptix join our family,” said Joey Thacker, CEO of Huddle. “The Preptix digital ticketing solution and its relationships in the high school market are a perfect complement as we bring an easy and innovative solution for high school sports fans to purchase tickets to their favorite events.”

“Patrick, the entire Preptix team and I could not be more excited about this,” said Jay Barker, founder of Preptix. “While we considered several opportunities with potential partners to expand the Preptix solution to additional states and regions, Huddle and the NFHS Network are the clear direction for the future.”

“Huddle and Preptix are the ideal combination for us as we work with our state association partners to deliver a national digital ticketing solution to the high school sports market,” said Robert Rothberg, president of the NFHS Network. “We’re committed to bringing new and groundbreaking solutions to the high school market, just like we have with our live video streaming and live data platform.”

"With the acquisition of Preptix, Huddle is strengthening its e-commerce solution, as well as bringing new talent to its rapidly expanding metro Atlanta headquarters,” said David Hartnett, senior vice president of Economic Development at the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Further, the company's new partnership with PlayOn! Sports and the NFHS Network speaks to the strong and collaborative nature of our region's digital sports and fitness community." 

“This is an exciting day for Huddle,” said Chairman Pete Amos, Board of Commissioners.  “This demonstrates that we have the technology workforce to make this acquisition a success here in Forsyth County.”

“Forsyth County is one of the best kept secrets in the technology sector,” said Carter Patterson, Forte Data Systems and Board Member, Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce.  “Technology companies continue to relocate and expand here due to the quality of life and low cost of doing business.”

About Huddle
Huddle, Inc. gives brands a local voice, lasting relationships, and a nationally scalable way to rise above a noisy advertising world. With partners that include State Farm^TM, CITGO®, O’Reilly Auto Parts®, Olive Garden® and Taco Bell®, Huddle has built a trusted reputation for driving local sales through innovative marketing programs. Huddle, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, builds programs that are rooted in serving a targeted audience and converting them into passionate brand advocates. Learn more at HuddleInc.com. Stay up to date on marketing news and local solutions by following Huddle on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Preptix
Preptix provides schools and associations with a digital ticketing solution that can be utilized for sporting events and other ticketed school events. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, Preptix is a pioneer of digital ticketing for high schools and serves as the exclusive digital ticketing provider for the Alabama High School Athletic Association. Learn more about Preptix at preptix.com or by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the NFHS Network
The NFHS Network is a joint venture of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), its member state associations and PlayOn! Sports. The NFHS is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. PlayOn! Sports is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is the nation’s largest high school sports media company. All NFHS Network events are available online at NFHSnetwork.com. Follow theNFHS Network on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram for the latest news and event information.

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