MLB says it’s seen impressive Passbook adoption thus far

When Apple unveiled its new Passbook app this summer, the tech world, for the most part, wasn’t sure what to make of it. It seemed like a good idea on paper, but would companies, and more importantly users, take advantage of it?

Fast forward to today, three weeks after the public release of iOS 6, and we haven’t quite seen the adoption we were hoping for. However, it does appear that the companies that have added Passbook support are seeing positive results…

In speaking with MarketWatch, MLB (Major League Baseball) Advanced Media CEO Bob Bowman said that in a four team test run during the final two weeks of the regular season, 1,500 e-ticket buyers utilized Apple’s Passbook app.

“That adoption rate really floored us – there is no question our fans want digital tickets,” Bowman says. “Fans can use the tickets, forward them to a friend, resell them, or even donate them to charity – and they never get lost or left at home.”

If convenience is the principal benefit of digital tickets to fans, what’s in it for sports leagues? Data, says Bowman. “From a team perspective, the biggest advantage is knowing who is at the ballpark, how many times they come, and where they sit,” he says.”

There is one problem with using digital tickets though — there’s no hard copy to hold on to or frame in the event that something significant happens, such as a player breaking a record or pitching a perfect game. But I digress.

Back to Passbook, the fact that so many people are already using the app is great news for folks hoping to see the platform succeed. Companies typically go to where the users are. And the more ubiquitous Passbook becomes, the better.

What do you think of Passbook so far?