Shares of StubHub, the ticket reseller marketplace, rose about 8% on Wednesday during its New York Stock Exchange debut. The strong performance valued the company at $9.32 billion and continued a recent trend of positive day-one receptions for technology platforms. The New York-based company’s stock opened at $25.35 per share, surpassing its initial offering price of $23.50.
In its long-awaited U.S. IPO, StubHub raised nearly $800 million by selling 34 million shares, with a price set within its marketed range of $22 to $25 each. This successful listing comes less than six months after the company delayed its plans due to market volatility stemming from President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
The fall season has marked a triumphant return for IPOs on U.S. exchanges after years of slow activity caused by rising interest rates and inflated valuations. The debuts of Swedish fintech company Klarna, blockchain lender Figure, and crypto exchange Gemini have made this one of the busiest IPO periods since 2021.
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StubHub’s strong debut could serve as an important benchmark for a sector where competitors, with the exception of Ticketmaster-parent Live Nation, have faced challenges succeeding in public markets. StubHub’s revenue grew by 3% in the first half of 2025, which was half of Live Nation’s 6% growth during the same period.
Its rival, Vivid Seats, which went public via a special purpose acquisition company in 2021, has seen its stock drop nearly 82% this year after falling 27% last year. The company was reportedly exploring a sale in December. Kat Liu, vice president at IPO research firm IPOX, stated that “with revenue growth still slow and the industry under scrutiny for fees and fairness, investor appetite looks more measured than exuberant.”
While ticket-selling platforms are benefiting from a surge in consumer demand for live events, the record rush for concerts like Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” has also brought increased scrutiny on reseller practices. As part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on ticket scalping, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has been seeking information from artists and fans about unfair and anti-competitive practices within the live concert and event industries. In March, Trump signed an executive order aimed at protecting fans from “exploitative ticket scalping” and reforming the live entertainment ticketing industry.
