Just a few years ago, location tracking technologies were uncommon at MLB ballparks, but that looks to have changed.
Location tracking technology is something that some fans have probably experienced firsthand. The MLB Ballpark app, for instance, uses location trackers to give fans special offers—including seat upgrades—and inform them of surrounding amenities. For iOS users, the app is triggered by checking in through iBeacon technology.
That app is an example of how this technology has spread in recent years. Most ballparks offer the technology in some form, allowing MLB to be one of the leading North American leagues when it comes to location tracking.
In fact, estimates say that 93% of ballparks offer it in some form. That is quite a jump from three years ago. More from Advertising Age:
MLB began testing beacons that communicate with its At The Ballpark app during the 2013 off-season at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. The early concept was to welcome fans when they enter the vicinity, surface historical information and potentially enhance sponsor messages and displays with advertiser content.
The number of proximity sensors placed in physical spaces across the globe appears to be growing rapidly. The number rose to about 8.3 million in the most recent report, up 33% from the report three months earlier. Proxbook data is based on voluntary self-reporting by companies involved with sensor services.