The trial debuted yesterday during a French Ligue 1 football match between Caen and Olympique Lyonnais. Twenty volunteers from the club’s season ticket holders were able to load their tickets onto an NFC-enabled handset, which were swiped at an electronic terminal upon entering.

Testers were also be able to read tags placed throughout the stadium to access match program information. Orange says new features will be added during the trial phase, including e-coupons, games and competitions, as well as a selection of exclusive post-match content.

M-Stadium is one of the 12 projects selected by the French government following the 2010 call for services based on contactless technologies within local authorities.

Another M-Stadium test is slated for the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis on September 24, for Robert Hossein’s “Excalibur” show.

According to Orange, M-Stadium is backed by the French government as part of the Caen la Mer region’s initiative to establish itself as a “leading mobile contactless region.” So far, NFC tags have been deployed on Caen’s William the Conqueror visitor trail, “Véol” bicycle sharing stations, bus shelters and tram stops. By the end of the year, this technology will also be used for making payments in stores, says Orange.