Ford SYNC AppLink Lets Baseball Fans Follow the Pennant Races with New Voice-Activated MLB.com At Bat App

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• MLB Advanced Media extends its pioneering MLB.com At Bat app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to the road with Ford SYNC^® AppLink^TM compatibility
• With an At Bat 12 subscription, drivers can use simple voice commands to select and listen to home or away radio broadcasts of any Major League Baseball game

Just in time to follow the pennant races and playoffs, baseball fans now can access the award-winning MLB.com At Bat app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad using simple voice commands with Ford SYNC^® AppLink^TM. The At Bat app already has been downloaded more than 5 million times this season and is one of the most popular mobile apps available.

"The combination of Ford's award-winning connectivity system SYNC AppLink and MLB.com At Bat will give baseball fans an unprecedented opportunity to keep track of their favorite and rival teams while on-the-go," said Julius Marchwicki, SYNC AppLink product manager. "MLB Advanced Media has been a leader in providing sports fans with everywhere access to live games and SYNC AppLink compatibility now extends that to the car."

With Ford SYNC AppLink, drivers can control a range of select entertainment and information apps running on smartphones and tablets using simple voice commands while keeping their hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road ahead.

All MLB.com At Bat users will have instant voice command access to schedules for all 30 Major League Clubs and up-to-the-moment scores.

In addition, drivers with both a Ford SYNC AppLink-equipped vehicle and a subscription to MLB.com At Bat 12 can connect their iOS mobile devices to listen to the home and away radio broadcasts of every game of the regular season and postseason, including the 2012 World Series, while they are on the go. 

Some simple voice commands are:

• {Team Name} – say a team name, such as "Detroit" or "Tigers", to quickly jump to your favorite team's game details or audio feed
• List Games – read out all of the latest scores or game details for the entire league
• Teams – select games or news from any of the 30 clubs
• Next Feed/Previous Feed – choose home or away live radio broadcast streams
• Play/Pause – pause the game so as not to miss any of the action

"At Bat is widely distributed across thousands of different mobile device platforms and SYNC AppLink represents another important interactive distribution point for our fans to enjoy following baseball using At Bat on their iOS devices," said Adam Ritter, SVP Wireless, MLB Advanced Media.

Baseball fans can download the MLB.com At Bat app to their iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad and then subscribe to At Bat 12 for a one-time seasonal fee of $9.99 or a $2.99 per month fee with monthly recurring billing. SYNC AppLink is available on a range of 2012 and 2013 model Ford vehicles including Fiesta, Fusion, F-150, Super Duty, E-Series, Mustang and Expedition.

About Ford
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 168,000 employees and about 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company