Ticketek Faces Backlash Over Ashes Presale Chaos Despite Record-Breaking Demand
So here's the situation—if you were one of the many cricket fans trying to score tickets to the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, chances are you were caught up in what has turned into a bit of a digital nightmare. We're talking about Ticketek's presale window for the Ashes, which was supposed to give fans early access to what’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated cricket series in years. Instead, it ended up frustrating thousands, if not more.
Let me paint the picture. The presale kicked off on June 3, and within hours, Cricket Australia announced a record-breaking day—over 220,000 tickets sold. That’s more than double the previous single-day record of 111,741, set during the 2017-18 Ashes. Incredible, right? Except, while the numbers were soaring, so were tempers. Fans found themselves stuck in online queues, some stretching past 190,000 people. Others who had waited for hours were suddenly booted out of the queue or found their session timed out as they were about to check out. One fan was 20,000 in line, then thrown to the back behind nearly 200,000 people—just like that.
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Ticketek, for their part, insisted everything was running smoothly. They chalked up most of the issues to users opening multiple browsers or tabs, which they say triggered bot protection measures. According to them, these systems are in place to prevent scalping bots from sweeping up tickets. But here’s the catch—some users reported being kicked even with only one tab open. Others were unable to select more than one ticket, or found the system cancelling transactions mid-purchase.
Ticketek's message? Don’t use multiple browsers or tabs. Their system might think you’re a bot. Understandable in theory, but when people are desperate to secure seats for a once-in-a-cycle Test series like the Ashes, it's not surprising they try every possible method to increase their chances.
Cricket Australia, meanwhile, was celebrating the historic demand, with CEO Todd Greenberg calling it “a remarkable achievement.” And to be fair, it is. The Ashes returning to Australia, especially after the thrilling 2023 series in England, was always going to generate huge interest. Add to that the fact that England’s Barmy Army is expected to return in full swing after Covid-era travel restrictions, and it's no wonder fans are scrambling.
But here's the bottom line—when systems falter during such a high-stakes ticket release, frustration is inevitable. Ticketek may have sold a record number of tickets, but the online experience has left a sour taste for many. With general sale opening June 13, let’s hope lessons have been learned, and fans have a smoother path next time. Because if there's one thing Aussies love, it's summer cricket—and right now, the heat isn't just on the pitch, it's online too.
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