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Here’s another reason to remember to bring your smartphone to the Miami Heat game this year — you won’t be able to get in the arena without it.
ESPN’s sports business writer Darren Rovell said that the Miami Heat will announce today that they will become the first team to allow mobile-only entry into their home games this season.
The @MiamiHeat will announce today they will first NBA team to only allow entry into the arena through a mobile ticket.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 10, 2017
No other way.
When a fan walks up to the box office for a Miami Heat game this year, they won't get a paper ticket.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 10, 2017
They'll get the seats texted to phone
About 77 percent of Americans own a smartphone, with nearly all (92 percent) 18-29-year-olds owning one. This move may create an additional barrier for older people and lower-income people, but even these groups have seen surges in smartphone use. Let’s hope that the change doesn’t cause any hitches for consumers, eliminates paper waste and makes everything smoother to get into the game.
This is not exactly news however, as the Miami Heat’s app won the 2017 Webby Award in May and advised back then that they would allow mobile-only entry for the coming season. In addition, the Heat added a FAQ to their official site at that time to help with the many questions fans would have about this new ticket system, including how to get into the AA Arena if they don’t have access to a smartphone.
From the Heat’s site:
"If you do not have access to any kind of smartphone, please visit us at the Tissot Ticket Center next to Gate 4 on game day. You will need to bring a valid ID with the name on the account."
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