Comerica Park is hoping to make the entry process a little easier for guests on game days. However, they'll have to hand over their fingerprints first.
At Comerica Park's main gate, fans can sign up for CLEAR's biometric technology system. The kiosk, available on game days, will register patrons by scanning all ten fingerprints, and then scanning their ID. They will then be able to enter any CLEAR line across the country.
Using the fingerprint scanning technology is completely optional, but guests who choose to opt-in to the program should have much shorter lines compared to other ticket-holders, similar to TSA Pre-Check in airports. Comerica Park is one of the first stadiums in the country to use the technology, but CLEAR is used in 30 major U.S. airports, including Detroit Metro.
"We want to provide people with a faster, more secure way to enter a venue, whether that's an airport or a stadium," said Ed O'Brien, head of sports-business development at CLEAR.
Right now, Comerica Park is only using biometric technology to enter the stadium. But O'Brien says CLEAR is hoping to expand to other body parts.
"At the ballpark today we're only using fingerprints, however as we look to grow our partnerships we'll look to possibly add other items like iris scans or facial scans," O'Brien said. He says this could streamline the process of buying alcohol at stadiums, for example. The system will automatically know if a guest is over 21, eliminating the chance of underage transactions.
The company hopes to expand to other Detroit sports stadiums in coming years.
