The NFL is rolling out Wicket’s facial authentication technology across all 32 stadiums for the upcoming season. The system should be operational by the time preseason starts. The full installation follows a successful trial conducted at various venues last year, including Cleveland Browns Stadium.
The primary goal of the system is to facilitate access for credentialed media, officials, staff, and guests to restricted areas such as the playing field, press box, and locker rooms.
By using facial recognition, the NFL also aims to prevent the fraudulent use of counterfeit physical credentials. The Wicket system employs advanced facial recognition software but is very fast and easy to use.
Customers must first link their ticketing account to their facial image using a selfie. Wicket’s artificial intelligence creates a unique digital code that represents the user’s facial features instead of storing the actual image.
Upon arriving at the stadium, registered users can access designated lanes equipped with camera-enabled devices, such as tablet computers.
As users look into the camera, the system compares their faces to the stored digital code associated with their account. A successful match authorizes all tickets purchased by that individual.
