The Detroit Pistons National Basketball Association (NBA) team has limited ticket sales to local fans for its playoff series against the New York Knicks.
According to a report from Sportico, the Pistons are geofencing ticket sales for the games at Little Caesars Arena, with only those located in Michigan and certain parts of Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, Canada able to gain access to tickets on Ticketmaster.
The move is supposedly aimed at preventing resellers from buying large numbers of tickets in an attempt to make major profits on the resale market.
In a statement to Sportico, the Pistons said: “This approach is not about keeping any particular group out – it’s about protecting our fans and maintaining the integrity of our ticketing process.”
The Pistons vs Knicks playoff series will involve up to seven games if necessary, with the first set for New York’s Madison Square Gardens on Saturday, April 19. Game 2 will also take place at Madison Square Garden, while Games 3 and 4 will head to the Pistons’ Little Caesars Arena.
The venue has a capacity of 20,332 for basketball and opened in Midtown Detroit in 2017. It is also home to the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings.