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IdealSeat Gives Any Foul-Ball Catching Yankee Fan Chance To Win Season Tickets

Provided By TiqIQ

Every baseball fan dreams of catching a ball -- whether it be a foul or a home run -- at a Major League game.  A Seattle-based company, IdealSeat, has developed technology designed to increase the chances of making that dream come true.

IdealSeat is a new mobile-based app that allows baseball fans to find their perfect seat at a Major League game simply by using their mobile device. Want the best seats to catch a foul ball or home run? By downloading the app and clicking on a variety of different categories, fans can locate and select the best available seats for their individual preferences based on criteria such as sitting in the shade, proximity to concessions and bathrooms, and family-friendly sections for large groups of fans.  And for souvenir hunters, IdealSeat even suggests the seats at each Major League stadium that offer the highest likelihood of catching a home run or foul ball during the game.

Founded in 2011, IdealSeat is the brainchild of Joel Carben, Spencer Fornaciari and Adam Navarrete, three self-professed data geeks from Seattle.  White attending a Mariners game at Safeco Field, the friends began to wonder if they could increase their odds of catching a foul ball. This random thought soon became an obsession.

The trio created a foul ball tracking system that collects information and crowd-sources data about where every foul ball goes.  They beta tested it during the 2012 season and launched the IdealSeat app in the App Store in 2013.  Soon they began getting inquiries from fans wanting to use the data to enhance their odds of catching a foul ball. Today, all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums are active on the app.

While IdealSeat is focused on MLB right now, the company is currently working on applying their technology to the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, and basically anwhere there is a fan experience.

''This is still evolving,'' Carben told Sports Illustrated. ''We're looking at the role of technology to understand and give the fans a great experience.''

IdealSeat recently partnered with Ticket Evolution, an online ticketing site.  Since the partnership, IdealSeat's user base has increased by over 20%, providing the site with the possibility of attracting a wider variety of fans and the ability to develop more innovative ideas.

To spread the word for their app, Carben and his team will be visiting all 30 MLB stadiums this summer to host an #IdealSeatChallenge.  Any member who catches a home run or foul ball in a seat that was purchased on the app will win 2016 season tickets for the team whose stadium they are attending.  The contest, however, is only good for the games that are attended by Carben and company during the #IdealSeatChallenge.

New York Yankees fans take note:  #IdealSeatChallenge is coming to Yankee Stadium this Sunday when the Yankees take on the Seattle Mariners. According to TiqIQ, Yankees tickets against the Mariners this Sunday start at $20 in section 236 - one of the top home run sections in the stadium - where Carben will be sitting.  Download the app today and take a shot at winning 2016 season tickets from IdealSeat!

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