The Shift to Digital Tickets: What MLB Teams Are Losing in the Transition

The landscape of Major League Baseball has shifted dramatically in recent years, with most teams, including the Chicago Cubs, embracing an all-digital ticketing system. While this transition began in earnest after the pandemic forced ballparks to close their gates in 2020, the Cubs issued their last paper season tickets in 2019. By 2021, Wrigley Field and many other MLB parks had gone cashless, further solidifying the digital ticketing trend.

For teams, the move to digital ticketing has its advantages. It streamlines operations, eliminates the risks associated with cash handling, and offers fans the convenience of accessing their tickets via smartphones. However, this evolution has not come without its challenges. Last September, the MLB Ballpark app suffered a hacking incident that left many fans, including Cubs supporters, without their tickets. While most of those tickets were eventually recovered, the incident prompted MLB to enhance the app’s security features, including implementing two-factor authentication—a necessary step in safeguarding payment information and ticket assets.

Yet, the question remains: what is lost in this digital transition? A game ticket is not merely a means of entry; it serves as a tangible souvenir, encapsulating memories of a day spent at the ballpark. For many fans, including myself, a collection of ticket stubs represents cherished moments. The Cubs, for instance, have produced beautifully designed tickets over the years, such as those celebrating the Wrigley Field centennial in 2014. These tickets are more than mere paper; they are artifacts of our experiences.

In contrast, digital tickets vanish from the app after the game concludes, leaving fans with only a digital record of their attendance. While the app allows fans to upload photos to commemorate their visits, it cannot replicate the sentimental value of a physical ticket. One fan even suggested printing a screenshot of a digital ticket, but that simply doesn’t capture the essence of holding an actual ticket in hand.

Josée Tellier, a dedicated Montreal Expos fan, encapsulates this sentiment perfectly. In a recent article from The Athletic, she shared her collection of ticket stubs, including one from her first game, signed by baseball legend Andre Dawson. “The ticket was the proof that you were there, that you felt the moment, that you saw that magic play,” Tellier reflected. For her, that ticket symbolizes not just a game attended but a treasured memory, a tangible reminder of a special time with her family.

In the Cubs’ current model, fans can purchase a commemorative paper “ticket” for any game they wish, priced at $9. While this option offers a form of nostalgia, it doesn’t quite match the experience of holding an authentic ticket used to enter the stadium. I was fortunate enough to receive a printed ticket at the Tokyo Dome last year for an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants, a memento that beautifully captures my trip to Japan.

Unfortunately, many teams have grown increasingly reluctant to print souvenir tickets. For example, the Milwaukee Brewers charge $10 for a printed ticket, while the Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to discontinue printed tickets altogether, even for long-time season ticket holders. Errol Segal, an 81-year-old Dodgers fan, expressed his disappointment after being informed that he could no longer receive printed tickets after 50 years of loyalty. “They threw me under the bus,” he lamented, highlighting the disconnect between teams and their devoted fan bases.

While the digital approach may reduce costs and streamline ticket management, it also strips away the personal touch that comes with physical tickets. Teams can now monitor ticket usage through the Ballpark app, gathering valuable data for pricing strategies. However, this focus on efficiency often overlooks the emotional connection fans have with their tickets.

For those who prefer to create memories through digital means, the Ballpark app does offer a feature that allows fans to add past games to their history. However, as some fans have noted, this still pales in comparison to the nostalgia of a physical ticket.

As for Tellier, she now attends Montreal Canadiens games, holding her QR code in hand. “I really wish we would go back to paper tickets,” she said, recalling a time when printed tickets were the norm. The experience of receiving a mere printed sheet of paper as a substitute for a ticket is, as she aptly put it, “not quite the same.” The shift to all-electronic ticketing raises an important question: what do fans truly value, and what memories are we willing to let slip away in the name of modern convenience?

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.