MLB Uses iBeacon Technology to Engage Fans in San Diego and Los Angeles

Since the introduction of iBeacon, the technology has seen a handful of successful implementations. Today, Major League Baseball will roll out its iBeacon installation at two ballparks, according to Re/code.

The installation of 65 iBeacons at Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego’s Petco Park, home of the Padres, will be followed by similar work at more than a dozen and a half other MLB stadiums, the league said. The plan is to have more than 20 ballparks in total equipped with the technology by Opening Day in late March. The Padres host the Dodgers on Opening Night on March 30.

The sensors connect to a fan’s iPhone via Bluetooth Low Energy and will allow users to receive alerts within ballparks through the At the Ballpark application. Although there is no word about what kind of alerts fans will receive, the system enables a wide range of options such as seat-finding guidance, loyalty program information, etc.

iBeacon has been successfully implemented in Apple’s own brick-and-mortar stores, was used at the CES 2014 “Scavenger Hunt,” and has also been used to unlock location-based digital content in the UK.