The new Passbook app included in iOS 6 is Apple's new way of managing airline tickets, customer loyalty cards, and nearly anything that requires scanning a barcode or QR code. And while it may seem like your favorite service is slow to support it (Jewel-Osco, hint hint), Major League Baseball fans apparently have some early love for Passbook as they use it to get in the gates during the playoffs.
Baseball fans are increasingly preferring e-tickets over the traditional printed, embossed, 3D laser hologram-covered paper tickets, and a surprising amount of ticket buyers are taking advantage of Passbook delivery. Passbook compatibility has been an "instant hit," according to MLB Advance Media CEO Bob Bowman, who noted that 12 percent of playoff game ticket buyers sent tickets to their iPhones. "That adoption rate really floored us," he told MarketWatch.
Indeed, a 12 percent pickup so soon after Passbook's debut isn't a number to sneeze at. As more users adopt digital tickets—MLB expects over 90 percent of fans to use them next season—traditional paper tickets are becoming more valuable as collector's items. Season ticket holders are apparently leaving paper tickets at home, using their iPhone Passbook version to get into the game so they can preserve the paper ticket in mint condition. Those preferring to use their iPhone to get into games won't necessarily have to pay collector's prices for a keepsake, though; memorabilia purveyor That's My Ticket is now licensed to make framed replica tickets starting at $25.
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