The Miami Heat will be making a big change this coming season, something that may affect folks who want to watch NBA games in the flesh. People planning to watch home games can do so but will need the aid of their mobile phones to get in.
The Miami Heat will become the first team in the NBA to use mobile-only entry passes at the American Airlines Arena. The decision to go this route is reportedly because they discovered that one in three fans entered using a mobile ticket last season. These are also transferable according to a report from ESPN.
Mobile-ticket entry may push away fans
With the possibilities brought in by technology growing by the day, one concern some fans may have would be alternatives. Most do own a mobile phone these days but there are still those who lack the technical know-how to use these mobile tickets.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves are using the same mobile-only ticketing as well. However, they still allow fans to get in using their driver’s license or credit card. Could this play a vital role as far as the number of fans who will be watching Heat games at the American Airlines Arena?
Mobile-only ticketing concerns
Some traditional fans still prefer the old practice, using printed tickets to get in arenas to watch games.
The only problem is that would be the cost involved, one angle that makes mobile-only ticketing a sensible recourse.
Aside from cost, another reason singled out is the safekeeping of the personal information of fans who watch the games. The move helps reduce fraud since it lowers the need to get personal information from fans who get assigned to a specific seat.
The shift to mobile-only ticketing is commendable though hurried. Technology often requires a soft transition, meaning the Heat could have at least slowly shifted to it with alternatives for fans who are bent on seeing NBA games.
It will be interesting if this change will affect game attendance once the 2016-17 NBA season starts.
There could be some vacant seats in the early part of the coming season with fans transitioning to the new ticketing system.
Change is often met with reluctance by select people, most of which need guidance at first. Apparently, the Heat organization saw a good number of people using it, meaning the traditional fans will just have to find ways to adapt to the change.
With the digital age set to be in full effect, fans planning to watch games may have to address other things. That includes making sure that their phones have enough charge prior to entry and figuring out how to use their mobile devices to watch Miami Heat games.
