Philadelphia Phillies lead off facial recognition access pilot for big league baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB) are launching ticketless stadium entry with facial recognition.

Fans can register to use the service at dedicated lanes by submitting a selfie through the MLB Ballpark app. The images are converted into biometric templates and then deleted. Fans do not need to scan a ticket or their phone when entering. Security screening is carried out separately but simultaneously, reports KYW Newsradio.

Groups can use the dedicated lane, as long as the person holding all the tickets is enrolled in the service. Only fans 18 years of age or older can enroll their face biometrics. The app also provides an option for users to “un-enroll.”

“Go-Ahead Entry” is a pilot program initiated by the MLB, and launching at Citizens Bank Ballpark on Monday, August 21.

MLB plans to expand the system to other ballparks next season.

Facial recognition is used for entry to New York Mets games with a service provided by Wicket, while Clear is used for biometric entry to baseball games in Cleveland and elsewhere.

Article Topics

biometric ticketing  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  MLB Go-Ahead Entry  |  selfie biometrics