The Miami Heat announced Thursday that they will not issue paper tickets of any kind for the 2017-18 season, becoming the first NBA team to move to purely mobile ticketing.
Heat will no longer issue paper tickets, forcing fans to use smartphones for entry
This definitely will not backfire.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Fans will need to download the Miami Heat app (or use Ticketmaster in their web browser), which will then allow their mobile device to be scanned by arena employees, permitting entrance to the game. This includes fans who choose to purchase tickets on the day of a game. Instead of receiving a paper ticket, they will receive an update in the app, which can then be scanned.
In isolation this idea sounds great. Everyone carries a phone at this point; paper tickets are just more things that can be lost, torn, or forged for resale. But the move to mobile ticketing opens up a whole other host of questions, some of which the Heat answered.
- Fans can transfer their tickets, but it will take 15 minutes from the time of transfer for it to complete.
- There is a contingency plan if something happens to your phone, but it involves waiting in line at one specific box office using a photo I.D. to rectify the situation.
Introducing technology like this always sounds great at a one-to-one level, but when you apply that to thousands of people all at once, things can get bad. If you’ve ever seen what happens at a grocery u-scan when 10 people are in line, then prepare yourself because this could be worse.
