Major League Baseball will be expanding its iPad dugout program during the upcoming season, distributing 15 iPads to each team. The iPads will be used by both players and staff for scouting, analytics, and performance examination.
CNBC reports MLB is looking to leverage partnerships with technology firms like Apple during this season, which is taking place in the middle of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
iPads have been used in MLB dugouts since 2016 when iPad Pro models were allowed in the dugout. Until 2015, tablets were banned for use in dugouts.
Other tech firms will be working with MLB during the severely shortened baseball season. All 30 MLB teams will use Google Cloud to run the MLB’s stat-tracking system and provide infrastructure for ticket sales and team websites.
Meanwhile, Sony will help by piping in artificial crowd noise during games. (Spectators will not be allowed to attend games this season.)
Stadium sound engineers will have access to around 75 different effects and reactions, according to MLB, which has provided teams with crowd sounds captured from Sony’s PlayStation 4 game, MLB The Show.
The Major League Baseball season will begin on July 23 and 24.