The Dallas Mavericks Distribute Playoff Tickets with Augmented Reality

The Dallas Mavericks partnered with Qualcomm and Big Playar to distribute 2011 NBA Playoff tickets with augmented reality functionality, an extremely novel fan engagement tool.

Fans who had an Android phone were able to scan an image of a Mavericks player on their game tickets to receive immediate access to an interactive game on their phone. Fan participation was guided by a set of instructions featured on the back of the team's ticket stubs, which required fans to download the Mavs AR app in the Android market and hover their phone over their ticket to access the game.

Mavs fans attending the game who did not have an Android phone could play the game at various phone zones situated through the American Airlines Center.

It will be very interesting to see if more teams begin to experiment with ticketing-based augmented reality applications. As fans look to engage fans in new ways prior to games and during the offseason when season ticket mailers are distributed to fans, interactive augmented reality extensions could provide a perfect solution. While there are currently some drawbacks (fans can only use select smartphones / need to download the AR app to interact), these hurdles will soon be overcome as technology evolves and apps become even easier to access.

Check out a video detailing the Dallas Mavericks' augmented reality ticketing initiative below!

Brian Gainor is a passionate sports marketer with agency experience as well as an extensive background working in the NFL, NFL Europe, and collegiate athletics. As a Sports Partnership Activation Consultant, Brian created Partnership Activation, Inc. to provide sports business professionals with "industry best practices" - creative ideas that provide opportunities to generate incremental revenue. #activationstag #activationstag