MLBAM’s At Bat App Surpasses 5M Dowloads, Adds Apple Watch Support

MLBAM’s MLB.com At Bat mobile app reached the five-million download mark on Saturday, its earliest point in its eight-year history. It also marks the first time the milestone was reached before the first pitch of the Major League Baseball regular season, which began Sunday night.

In addition, MLBAM delivered a record-setting 60 million live and on-demand video streams to baseball fans on Opening Day, consumed across MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB.com At Bat and MLB.com-controlled social media channels on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. That new mark also represents a 60% increase from last year’s Opening Day record. In addition, fans accessed the At Bat mobile app 9.1 million times yesterday, eclipsing the previous single day record by nearly 40 percent.

SPRING TRAINING RECORDS AND APPLE WATCH SUPPORT
Baseball fans also set a new Spring Training record for daily use of the MLBAM-developed app, 30% higher than the previous mark last year.  Since its February launch, the top-grossing sports app of all-time maintained a consistent position atop the App Store rankings for both iPhone and iPad, including the App Stores in three North American countries – U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The highest-grossing sports app a record six straight years, At Bat unveiled an Opening Day update that included support for Apple Watch. When available, At Bat for Apple Watch gives fans live scores, statistics, pitch tracking for every regular season and Postseason game, individual MLB player cards, notifications and breakings news. At Bat delivered comprehensive bilingual accessibility for Spanish-speaking fans, among other new features with its Spring Training update.

MLB.TV Premium subscribers again will receive a free upgrade to the complete suite of At Bat’s premium features. Fans also may subscribe to MLB.com At Bat and have access to its premium features on the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store for a yearly subscription of $19.99, covering more than 2,500 live MLB games in 2015 from Opening Day to the World Series. Subscribers also may pay $2.99/month with the recurring billing offering.

With an At Bat subscription, users will have multi-platform live audio access for portability to take home, away and Spanish-language audio feeds to desktop and laptop computers. Subscribers also will be able to get full premium feature access across iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, supported Android smartphones and tablets and Amazon Kindle Fire and Fire Phone.

FROM SPRING TRAINING TO THE WORLD SERIES
MLB.TV, the Internet’s first OTT product in 2002, concluded its Spring Training broadcast schedule with a two-day free preview, giving fans a chance to watch live any of the two dozen scheduled broadcasts across the more than 400 supported mobile and connected devices. A complete schedule of games follows below.

MLB.TV Premium subscribers also will be able to live stream every game of the World Series and the 86^th All-Star Game, scheduled to be played Tuesday, July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, via MLB.TV through FOX’s participating video providers. Access will be available across all supported MLB.TV platforms, including through the MLB.com At Bat app.

NEWLY RENAMED BALLPARK BACK FOR EVERY GAME
MLBAM has updated its award-winning and newly renamed Ballpark app for iPhone and Android smartphones. This year’s Opening Day update includes customizable notifications, a new ticketing section and a redesigned app navigation. Entering its fourth season, Ballpark delivers fully intuitive integration of locally focused technology with a league-wide feature set, including team customization, exclusive video highlights, mobile food, beverage and official merchandise ordering, seat and experience upgrade capabilities; MyTickets Mobile for in-app ticket management, Apple Pay as a mobile payment option for single-game tickets, delivery and storage of every ticket sold and content integration with ballpark video screens.

At last year’s All-Star Game at Target Field in Minnesota, MLBAM introduced interactive ballpark attractions using iBeacon technology. Fans visiting Target Field, and now select other ballparks as of Opening Day, with Ballpark on their iPhones (iOS 7.0 or newer required) will be able to use iBeacon when visiting the supported ballpark attractions, offering a unique mobile perspective through original content automatically delivered to their iPhones.

MLBAM also utilizes iBeacon technology for automatic check-ins to every home game, featuring personalized offers and rewards. Additional ballparks will be outfitted to support interactive ballpark attraction experiences through iBeacon and will be announced as they become available. Fans may download Ballpark on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Ballpark features include:

• Check-in automatically with iBeacon technology (28 ballparks)

• Apple Pay – a new payment option when buying single-game tickets in the app (select clubs only)

• MyTickets Mobile for delivery and storage of all MLB tickets sold (select clubs only)

• Upload and share personal photos from ballpark visits, dating to 2005

• View team statistics and watch video highlights from games attended

• Ballpark and player entrance music listings

• Social media clubhouse, including social rewards for select clubs

• Complete tickets section, featuring special offers by club

• Seat and experience upgrade functionality (select clubs only)

• Passbook integration for digital ticket delivery and storage (select clubs only)

• Check-in for ballpark offers and rewards

• Interactive concourse maps and directory

• Customize to feature a designated favorite MLB ballpark

• Team schedule, ticket information and sales and promotional event listings

• Access to food and beverage ordering available at select parks (select clubs only)

• Directions and parking information

• A to Z Guides for every ballpark

• My Journal: Personalized check-in history for ballparks visited

HOME RUN DERBY UPDATE INCLUDES 2015 ALL-STAR GAME HOST GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK
MLBAM also has updated its popular mobile game, MLB.com Home Run Derby, at its earliest date ever to give fans more than three months to compete in the derby from Great American Ball Park, home to the Cincinnati Reds and the 2015 Home Run Derby.

The new 2015 version of the game currently is available as a free download on the Apple App Store and includes multiple ballparks, including its HD re-creation of Great American Ball Park. Fans may play in both single player and multiplayer modes for a chance to capture the Home Run Derby title, reach the top of the worldwide leaderboards and earn valuable upgrades.

MLB.com Home Run Derby delivers an action-packed baseball experience unlike any other on mobile platforms with unparalleled graphics, user-friendly controls and sound. This year’s version also includes high resolution players for 41 participants from the 2010-2014 Home Run Derby competitions.

FEATURES FOR MLB.com HOME RUN DERBY:

MULTIPLAYER DERBY MODE

·  Enter the authentic Home Run Derby tournament

·  Play against MILLIONS in live multiplayer games

·  Climb the leaderboards competing against the world’s best

·  Compete with the 2015 Home Run Derby participants (available July 2015)

ARCADE MODE

·  Hit as many home runs as possible before the clock runs out

·  Awesome achievements & ballpark-specific challenges with new ways to earn virtual currency

·  Get rewarded by hitting targets & special Gold and MLBuck baseballs

SINGLE PLAYER DERBY MODE

·  Build up skills in an authentic Home Run Derby tournament against the AI

·  Slow-motion cameras, home run announcer “calls” and more