In the summer of 2020, as stadiums were looking for ways to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic safely, the Cleveland Browns approached Wicket with a challenge: could Wicket help them get fans back into the stadium while respecting all COVID-19 mandates, including fans wearing face masks, social distancing, and limited physical contact. Based on advanced facial recognition technology Wicket had already developed, Wicket worked with the Browns to test and deploy a facial ticketing solution that allowed fans to just walk up, have their face authenticated (even with a face mask on), and walk into the stadium in less than a second — no showing or sharing mobile bar codes, removing face masks, or congregating in long ticketing lines.
3 years later, the Browns have now seen more than 50% of their season ticket holders enroll in the program, have been able to reduce ticketing lanes by 75%, and clear gates 10 minutes faster, all while saving $8,000 per Wicket ticketing lane. The Browns have expanded the use of Wicket facial authentication across the stadium and their practice facilities, eliminating the need for physical credentials for access to secure areas of the stadium, improving the suite and club entry experience, and streamlining concessions purchases with facial payments.
Wicket has taken this platform to numerous additional sporting facilities, corporate offices, and other ticketed events, becoming the leader in facial authentication solutions that delight fans, guests, and employees while strengthening security for live events and facilities.
© Wicket Software 2023
