Ted Leonsis’s Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday morning that the organization will be shifting to mobile-only tickets at Capital One Arena in 2020. Right now, Capitals season ticket holders either use a physical book of tickets or a digital solution to enter games.

The new policy will be first implemented for Capitals and Washington Wizards games during the 2020 postseason. Any concerts or shows announced at Capital One Arena after January 1, 2020, will also be mobile-only.

A press release from MSE says that the digital tickets will “make venue entry and overall ticket management better than ever for fans.”

“At Monumental, we have had a very strong mobile presence for the past four years with the vast majority of our fans currently taking advantage of the benefits of utilizing digital tickets for entry into Capitals and Wizards games at Capital One Arena,” Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations and Chief of Commercial Officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, said in the release. “We are focused on making our entire ticketing process as streamlined as possible while ensuring our fans are fully educated and prepared for how to best manage their tickets.”

“Mobile ticketing at Capital One Arena will provide fans a more convenient experience and bolster greater security for our guests,” David Touhey, President of Venues at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, said. “Monumental continues to pave the way in utilizing new technology to deliver a first-class fan experience.”

Other local teams, like the Washington Nationals, largely rely on and promote the use of their digital option, but still allow fans to print their tickets from home. The DC United’s ticketing process is also all digital.

The new policy may further alienate the segment of fans who feel recent changes in ticketing policy have taken control and options away from them. Though the organization says the changes enhance security and improve entry into the arena, some fans perceive the moves as an effort to keep the resale market contained to the team’s financial partner, Ticketmaster, and off of other secondary-market sites.

Following publication of this post, a team spokesman reached out to note that the Capitals have been at the forefront of adopting mobile ticketing and encouraging its use, and multiple leagues/teams have adopted a mobile-only policy. The spokesperson added that while the Capitals do partner with Ticketmaster and encourage fans to use that site, they also allow ticket transfers to buyers from other websites and just require that transfer to take place within the team’s platform.

Many Capitals fans also keep their physical tickets as souvenirs during milestone games. One longtime reader, Jenn, expressed her disappointment in the change on Twitter.

Just got an email saying the Caps are going to mobile ticketing only. I feel like someone needs to "okay boomer" me with this, but I love paper tickets. I have so many ticket stubs that I keep (like Ovi's first NHL game and Stanley Cup finals). This makes me sad.

— Jenn Sigwart (@terpgrrl) December 18, 2019

More from MSE:

MONUMENTAL SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MOBILE-ONLY TICKETS AT CAPITAL ONE ARENA IN 2020

Digital ticketing technology streamlines ticket management, makes venue entry easier

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monumental Sports & Entertainment has announced all concerts and shows at Capital One Arena announced after Jan. 1, 2020 as well as season tickets for the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards beginning with the playoff season in 2020 will be fully digital, helping make venue entry and overall ticket management better than ever for fans.

As the official ticketing partner of the Wizards and Capitals, Ticketmaster continues to enhance and develop mobile ticketing technologies to simplify and improve the entire live event experience. This year, Monumental implemented Ticketmaster Presence, the next generation venue access control and fan engagement platform, that replaces paper tickets with digital passes. Presence streamlines live event venue operations, provides real time insights and analytics to venues and teams, enhances security, protects against fraud, and allows for a personalized fan experience.

Season ticket members and concert goers will have access to an assortment of tutorial sessions and interactive videos throughout the spring and summer as well as additional educational videos prior to the start of the 2020-21 season to serve as a refresher on how to access mobile tickets. Monumental’s Membership Services and Guest Services teams are well-educated and available for assisting patrons throughout the transition as well.

What do you think of the change?

This post has been updated since publication.