Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, will give fans the option of entering the ballpark next season using facial recognition to verify their identities rather than showing a paper ticket or mobile tickets on their smartphones, according to an NFCW report on Monday (Dec. 13).
Citi Field staff and vendors will also have the ability to access restricted areas, including the clubhouse and front offices, using facial authentication, the report stated.
The Mets began testing contactless facial ticketing in August, allowing fans to use their biometric data in their ticket accounts and walk into Citi Field through a dedicated facial ticketing lane. The team says it will increase the number of lanes in the 2022 season and beyond to allow facial verification at Citi Field’s main entry gates and the entrances to premier seating areas, per the report.
“Known to fans as the Mets Entry Express program, facial ticketing at Citi Field is a 100% voluntary opt-in program for faster touchless entry into the ballpark via dedicated lanes, with easy online enrollment available to anyone attending a Mets home game,” said biometric technology provider Wicket.
“Mets fans who opt into the program will realize the benefits of shorter lines, beginning with ticketing as they enter Citi Field,” the announcement says.
Related news: Minor League Team Debuts Baseball’s First Autonomous Retail Experience
Last week, the Worcester Red Sox and Standard AI debuted the first autonomous retail experience in professional baseball in the WooSox Market at Polar Park, a minor league baseball stadium in central Massachusetts.
The WooSox Market features cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud connectivity that will let fans shop for their favorite ballpark snacks and souvenirs, then pay for them without scanning, waiting in line or stopping at a checkout location. Fans can add payment information through the Standard AI Checkout app to access the cashierless experience and see their receipts a few minutes after leaving the WooSox Market. The Standard AI platform does not use facial recognition.
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