Apple’s new payment system is live, and Apple Pay has already garnered more attention than most mobile payment efforts to date. It also has a new ad, which aired yesterday during the opening game of the 2014 World Series, from payment partner MasterCard.
MasterCard’s ad accompanies its new rollout of contactless payments at food and beverage purchase points in MLB ballparks across the U.S. The program supports a range of NFC-powered mobile payment options, but MasterCard is pushing the Apple Pay angle specifically, touting the fact that it brings Apple Pay to pro sports facilities for the first time, at ballparks in both Kansas City and San Francisco.
MasterCard says that the Apple Pay system works well in the ballpark setting basically because people want their franks fast. Apple Pay/MLB partnerships don’t end there, however – the company is also offering in-app purchase support for Apple Pay users for single-game tickets once those start going on sale in November, via the MLB.com At the Ballpark app.
The first ad features MBL Hall of Famer George Brett making an Apple Pay purchase. Remember, this is a MasterCard ad, not an Apple ad, meaning this is yet another sign that payments providers think Apple could be the company to make mobile payments really take off, and are investing resources and backing accordingly.