The MLB.com At Bat app perennially jumps to the top of the charts when the latest version is released at the start of each baseball season. This year’s edition is
no different, ranking as the top-grossing app for the iPhone and Android since its February release. It has also been the top-grossing app for the iPad.
What’s new is that At Bat 12
has hit the 3 million download mark only eight days into the regular season, a level it took until August 22 --
145 days into the season -- for the app to reach last year.
Since baseball’s opening day April 4, the new At Bat app has delivered a daily average of over 800,000 live audio and video
streams, roughly double last year's rate.
It’s likely that the steep rise in iPad adoption has been a key factor in accelerating downloads. Apple sold nearly 40 million iPads
worldwide in 2011 and the newly introduced model appears to be off to a strong start in 2012. More people have iPhones and Android devices now too, with Nielsen estimating that smartphone
penetration has reached nearly 50% in the U.S.
For its part, MLB.com added performance enhancements like high-resolution graphics for Apple’s Retina display on devices, while keeping
the season subscription price at $14.99.
That isn’t to say that the popular app, which so far has earned a 3.5-star rating in the App Store, is without complaints. One reviewer groused
about full-page ads accompanying each news article, while others lamented box scores not being included in the free content. There are also the usual gripes about the $15 subscription fee-- well
above the $1 or $2 typically charged for an iPhone app.