Houston Astros introducing ticketless access with MLB Go-Ahead Entry

Major League Baseball in the U.S. is introducing its facial recognition ticketing program, Go-Ahead Entry, to Houston sports fans.

The digital ID process works in standard fashion. Anyone older than 17 downloads the MLB Ballpark app and takes a selfie within the app on an iOS or Android phone. The images are tokenized and then deleted.

It also works with groups, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The owners of the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park have reserved an entrance gate for registered app users.

The app, which went live first in the city of Philadelphia, was recognized for its innovation during the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show. In Philadelphia, Go-Ahead Entry biometrics are paired with scanners from Evolv Technology that use AI to perform security checks without forcing fans to empty their pockets first for free-flowing entry.

Two other big-league baseball teams will use the biometric ticketing system when the season opens, with the rest of the league joining them during the 2024 season.

Article Topics

biometric ticketing  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  MLB Go-Ahead Entry