What's This?
By Samantha Murphy Kelly2013-09-27 01:26:08 UTC
Major League Baseball is launching a major initiative to make attending games at stadiums a completely interactive experience for fans.
Taking advantage of Apple's iBeacon indoor mapping, a new feature in iOS 7, the MLB plans to customize its At the Ballpark app for everyone that walks into any of its stadiums nationwide.
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"We've been looking at customizing the app based on where you are within the stadium, but GPS is notorious for not working indoors, especially when you are in a building made of steel," Marc Abramson, iOS developer for MLB, told Mashable. "Instead, we are incorporating Apple's new Bluetooth and iBeacon technologies for iOS 7 and couldn't be more excited about the potential."
GPS may be reliable for routing you to target destinations, but navigating the great indoors hasn't largely been unmastered. iBeacon is Apple's solution to fix this issue.
MLB, which has been working closely with Apple on the project since February, set up a demo on Thursday at Citi Field in New York City to show how exactly a team such as the Mets would be able to execute this at ballparks.
"Essentially, we want to create micro-locations within the stadiums where you can get different experiences," Abramson said.
By loading the free app when you get off the subway and head towards the stadium, it immediately knows you are at Citi Field. It populates a ballpark guide with information specific to the stadium, so if you were to enter Phillies' Citizens Bank Park, the entire experience and data wouldn't be the same.
As you near the gates, the app displays your ticket's barcode on screen, as well as a map of where the seats are located. If tickets are loaded into Apple Passbook or purchased online through certain ticketing partners, the app will automatically pull them up.
In addition, the app can be programmed to highlight points of interest that can be unlocked. In the Mets' case — at least in terms of the demo — it began playing a video about the history of the stadium while standing near the Mets' iconic apple statue.
"Not everyone who comes to the games is a super fan, so this adds a new dimension to the experience," Abramson said.
As with a loyalty card you might get at a local restaurant or deli, fans receive a virtual hole punch every time they attend a game. The team can elect to reward fans for multiple visits with coupons for items such as a free soda or hot dog.
Discounts can also be pushed out when you enter the team store.
"The whole concept is to give the user an individualized experience that is always different," he said. "The next time a fan comes to Citi Field, you might not get a prompt to visit the apple because it knows you've been there. Instead, it will highlight another area of the stadium."
Although the Mets are on board with testing the technology right now — most likely for a 2014 launch — the league didn't say which other teams will get the technology.
"A lot of teams have expressed interest so far," Abramson said. "It will truly change the way you experience games, both at your home stadium and while visiting other ballparks."
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Topics: Apps and Software, Major League Baseball, MLB, Mobile, Sports, Tech, Television
By Samantha Murphy Kelly2013-09-27 01:26:08 UTCMajor League Baseball is launching a major initiative to make attending games at stadiums a completely interactive experience for fans.
Taking advantage of Apple's iBeacon indoor mapping, a new feature in iOS 7, the MLB plans to customize its At the Ballpark app for everyone that walks into any of its stadiums nationwide.
See also: 6 Great Alternatives to Netflix
"We've been looking at customizing the app based on where you are within the stadium, but GPS is notorious for not working indoors, especially when you are in a building made of steel," Marc Abramson, iOS developer for MLB, told Mashable. "Instead, we are incorporating Apple's new Bluetooth and iBeacon technologies for iOS 7 and couldn't be more excited about the potential."
GPS may be reliable for routing you to target destinations, but navigating the great indoors hasn't largely been unmastered. iBeacon is Apple's solution to fix this issue.
MLB, which has been working closely with Apple on the project since February, set up a demo on Thursday at Citi Field in New York City to show how exactly a team such as the Mets would be able to execute this at ballparks.
"Essentially, we want to create micro-locations within the stadiums where you can get different experiences," Abramson said.
By loading the free app when you get off the subway and head towards the stadium, it immediately knows you are at Citi Field. It populates a ballpark guide with information specific to the stadium, so if you were to enter Phillies' Citizens Bank Park, the entire experience and data wouldn't be the same.
As you near the gates, the app displays your ticket's barcode on screen, as well as a map of where the seats are located. If tickets are loaded into Apple Passbook or purchased online through certain ticketing partners, the app will automatically pull them up.
In addition, the app can be programmed to highlight points of interest that can be unlocked. In the Mets' case — at least in terms of the demo — it began playing a video about the history of the stadium while standing near the Mets' iconic apple statue.
"Not everyone who comes to the games is a super fan, so this adds a new dimension to the experience," Abramson said.
As with a loyalty card you might get at a local restaurant or deli, fans receive a virtual hole punch every time they attend a game. The team can elect to reward fans for multiple visits with coupons for items such as a free soda or hot dog.
Discounts can also be pushed out when you enter the team store.
"The whole concept is to give the user an individualized experience that is always different," he said. "The next time a fan comes to Citi Field, you might not get a prompt to visit the apple because it knows you've been there. Instead, it will highlight another area of the stadium."
Although the Mets are on board with testing the technology right now — most likely for a 2014 launch — the league didn't say which other teams will get the technology.
"A lot of teams have expressed interest so far," Abramson said. "It will truly change the way you experience games, both at your home stadium and while visiting other ballparks."
BONUS: 10 Best iPhone Arcade Games
Topics: Apps and Software, Major League Baseball, MLB, Mobile, Sports, Tech, Television