For a sport that’s been around over 100 years, Major League Baseball is on top of its digital game. After a pilot program last September, the league announced that 13 stadiums will accept mobile tickets through Apple’s Passbook App this season. The Mets, Giants and Royals, three of last year’s test teams, will be joined this season by the Twins, Orioles, Brewers, A’s, Pirates, Tigers and Cubs in the program. But that’s not all Major League Baseball has up its sleeve. The league also announced a new program called Mobile Seat Upgrades. Featured in the official MLB apps on Android and iOS, fans can use their smartphones mid-game to upgrade their seats, earn rewards and access different parts of the stadium. The Braves tried this out last season, offering seat upgrades between $5 and $55. They’ll be joined by the Diamondbacks, Twins and A’s on Opening Day, with 12 more teams joining in at the end of April. America’s National Pastime is ready for the 21st Century.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.