Have you ever struggled to find your digital ticket while walking up to an event or worried that your phone battery would die before you got your ticket scanned? One MLB park just became the latest venue to offer a system that eliminates those worries — by allowing you to enter the stadium simply by scanning your face.
The scanning technology — called “Go-Ahead Entry” — debuted this week at the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ball Park. It’s also available in five other baseball parks, a few NFL stadiums, and other venues.
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Here’s how Go-Ahead Entry works. You start by downloading the MLB Ballpark app [Android, iOS]. Once you have the app installed, you can take a selfie image to associate it with your tickets. That image is then deleted from your phone and turned into a facial recognition code. When you get to the ballpark, head to a designated Go-Ahead lane — not every entrance supports facial scanning — and walk past the pedestals. Scanners will analyze your face and match it to your ticket. You don’t need to stop walking, and you don’t need to pull out your phone.
Groups or families can enter together as long as the tickets are on the same account.
The technology works only with tickets purchased directly through the teams’ websites. Third-party tickets won’t have access to Go-Ahead. Once you’ve scanned your face for the first time, you won’t need to do it again.
Go-Ahead Entry is also available at five other MLB ballparks, including Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals; Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies; Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros; Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals; and Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
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The technology was already in place last season at Citizens Bank Park, where it got fans through the entrance up to 68% faster than traditional means, the MLB said
Several NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, are also using the same facial ticketing program this season. NFL representatives said fans got through the gates four times faster.
Wicket, the facial authentication platform provider behind the technology, plans to use its platform for other live events, for entry into secure facilities like hospitals, colleges, and airports, and to process phone-less and card-less payments.
