TJ Chambers
Ticket+
In the recent end of year-round ups, it was suggested that following an increased adoption of biometric ticketing within the sports teams, leagues and stadia sector, that a wider market utilisation including music, performing arts, theme parks and tourism sectors, was imminent.
Bullish commentators suggested that the majority of tickets sold in North America (with claims of up to 85% market penetration) during 2025 would be digital with contactless payments and mobile QR codes also becoming the industry standard.
This move towards digital-only ticketing raises a number of concerns, from alienating those audiences without smart-phones, electronic banking, older or more culturally conservative audiences, to the ethical considerations and regulatory oversight of biometric information required to ensure abuse of the most personal details of identity does not occur.
The process of digitisation has enabled the integration of ticket+ personal wallets, identity and health status (a by-product of the Covid pandemic) within single mobile-based platforms, and for those amalgams to then agilely interface with Access Control, POS and CRM solutions.
The utilisation of one biometric, facial identity, obviously strengthens venue entry controls and arguably enhances the customer/fan/patron/supporter experience by letting them spend less time waiting in lines.
Whilst another advantage to sports franchises, event Rights Owners and venue operators is the linking of headshots of previously ill-behaved attendees to be blocked at point-of-entry.
The utilisation of accurate ticket+ ID verification also assists in the restriction of unauthorised ticket exchange and/or resale i.e. is the original named ticket purchaser the same person at the event turnstile?
Additionally, the digital ticket with animated barcode also assists in the elimination of counterfeit ticketing by reducing the ability to duplicate printed stock or to copy static screenshots of mobile ticketing.
However, given the poor data-security reputation of some ticketing operators, or their promoter-producer partners, the development of ticket+ biometric technologies brings with it privacy concerns for both consumers, operators and regulators all concerned about data misuse and/or surveillance at events.
For example, in 2015 Leicestershire Police utilised facial recognition software to scan 90,000 attendees at Download Festival ‘checking them against wanted criminals across Europe’ – before being forced to destroy the information it had gathered (Download festival: Leicestershire Police defend facial recognition scans – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-33132199).
In 2022, New Jersey attorney Kelly Conlon was chaperoning her daughter’s Girl Scout troop to see a Rockettes show at Radio City Music Hall. After arriving at the venue, she was denied entry. The reason being her law firm (as well as lawyers at other firms) were involved in a lawsuit against Madison Square Garden Entertainment (the parent company of Radio Rock City Music Hall) and had been placed on an ‘exclusion list’ – Madison Square Garden Uses Facial Recognition to Ban Its Owner’s Enemies – https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/22/nyregion/madison-square-garden-facial-recognition.html.
By mid-2023 MSGE’s adversarial entrance policy meant that staff of some 90 law firms had also been banned from the company’s venues and identified as ‘persona non grata’ before new legislation and the intervention of the NY Attorney General Letitia James corrected this overreach.
Regulators from around the world are increasingly questioning the use of facial recognition within ticketing where they see any violations of data privacy.
For example, after a two-year investigation, the Spanish Data Protection Agency (https://www.aepd.es/) (AEPD) recently sanctioned La Liga football club Osasuna for using opt-in facial recognition at its 23,516-capacity El Sadar Stadium, fining the club €200,000 and placed a ban on continued use of facial recognition technology. Osasuna is planning to appeal the regulator’s decision.
Similarly, the Australian Open (https://ausopen.com/) launched facial recognition system for all visitors under a new addition to its event Terms & Conditions. However, many customers despite having purchased a ticket and entered the event claim they were not aware, or had consented, to the surveillance technology.
The Australian Open claimed that alongside CCTV, facial recognition technology was used to help identify and eject persons who had previously been denied entry, to ensure ‘safety, security and integrity’ of the event. So, they scanned everyone just in case.
Elsewhere, next month South Korean entertainment conglom Hype (https://www.hybecorp.com/kor/main) plans to use a new facial recognition solution ‘FacePass’ for concert admission starting with a fan event for boy-band TWS in Seoul 14-16th February. But Korean politicians are set to revise the Personal Information Protection Act to address biometric data collection and management and prevent privacy violations.
© Hybe / The Korea Herald
Leading operators in the incorporation of biometrics (whether facial identity, fingerprints or palm technology) to events include: Blink Identity (https://www.blinkidentity.com/); Clear (https://www.clearme.com/); Oosto (https://oosto.com/industry/stadiums/); Trucrowd (https://trucrowd.tech/); Veridas (https://veridas.com/en/); or Wicket (https://www.wicketsoft.com/) – with other operators available.
(* Please note, this blog is not supported by any editorial sponsorship or affiliate links. Should you click-thru and/or enter into any contractual relationship with any organisation you do so entirely at your own risk.)
This week, AXS announced the global launch of it’s new biometric authentication feature for it mobile app: AXS announces new biometric authentication for enhanced security and seamless access – https://solutions.axs.com/us/2025/01/27/axs-announces-new-biometric-authentication-for-enhanced-security-and-seamless-access/ .
© Billboard / AXS – https://www.billboard.com/pro/aeg-ticketing-axs-fingerprint-facial-recognition-biometric-authentication/
The mobile-based ticket+ wallet can also enable seamless, contactless purchase of concessions and merchandise, with discounts or special offers messaged to customers by a more connected and centralised data-driven marketing channel.
The digital ticket+ can also enable interactive seating maps and venue plans, event line-up announcements, traffic and public transportation updates, and other event adjacent information.
To wit, in September 2024, following the release of iOS 18, Apple announced a new ticket experience in Apple Wallet ‘fans can access even more information about their events, such as venue maps, local weather forecasts, recommended Apple Music playlists, and much more’ – https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/ios-18-is-available-today-making-iphone-more-personal-and-capable-than-ever/.
The following month, Ticketmaster announced that it would be the first ticketing company to offer this enhanced experience: https://business.ticketmaster.com/press-release/apple-wallet-experience/.
© Ticketmaster
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For more information regarding digital ticketing with many of the features identified above, you should also check Tixserve: https://www.tixserve.com, who also happen to be friends. So I guess that is a definite product-placement.
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Separately, I note that Michael Rapino was recently named ‘Billboard Power 100’ #1 for 2025 – https://www.billboard.com/p/billboard-2025-power-100-list/.
Whilst the list is typically a collection of rich, unshaven, aging white men, it’s kinda interesting that the #1 ‘master-of-the-universe’ is from the live side of the music industry.
Or maybe not. But if you want further details: Dave Brooks, Billboard Power 100’s New No. 1: Live Nation Entertainment’s Michael Rapino – https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/power-100-michael-rapino-no-1-live-nation-8095965).
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Until next time.
TJ_Chambers 