Ho Ho Ho, it's Magic: Orlando's NBA team will be first to support Apple Pay for in-arena purchases

The NBA's Orlando Magic is off to another poor start. But the Amway Center, where the team plays, will have something exciting to talk about starting Friday. That is when the arena will be the first in the NBA to accept Apple Pay. Now, that won't be enough to excite the basketball fans in Central Florida, but it should make paying for in-arena purchases a lot easier and faster.

The Magic faithful will be able to use the Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch to make mobile payments using Apple Pay starting with this Friday's home game versus the Utah Jazz. The program is the result of a partnership between the Magic, Chase bank and Levy Restaurants. Fans who use their Chase card to pay for a transaction inside the arena using Apple Pay, will have the opportunity to receive exclusive offers and win prizes.

This isn't the first time that the Amway Center has used Apple's technology to enhance the experience of attending a Magic home game. The arena has iBeacons placed throughout the stands. The Bluetooth LE powered system provides fans with updates and information that is based on the section of the arena where they are sitting.

The Orlando Magic have been very quick to adapt new mobile technologies. The Magic website is designed to work on mobile browsers, and the team also supports fans using Google Glass. You might recall that when the Magic selected Victor Oladipo with the second pick of the 2013 draft, he showed up in the Green Room on draft night wearing the connected specs.

source: AppleInsider