Has Taylor Swift started arriving at Chiefs games behind a movable wall? The internet seems to think so after video emerged of venue staff wheeling around a blackout screen to shield someone from photographers.
Whether or not the online detectives are right, the intrigue has cast some light on complex logistics that go into moving players and performers through stadiums that are packed with tens of thousands of fans.
Stadiums need robust access-control systems to protect sensitive spaces like player entrances, locker rooms, VIP suites and media production zones. Remember when a fan snuck into the Eagles locker room?
But the last thing players and staff need on game-day is trouble getting into a facility.
Stadiums need game-day security without game-day hassles. That’s why facial authentication is becoming the technology of choice for premier access.
Facial authentication works at the speed of life
Facial authentication combines robust security with a seamless experience. An athlete or staff member simply approaches a device mounted by the door. The embedded AI instantly authenticates enrolled users and they walk through. That’s it. When their face is their access credential, there’s no fumbling for badges or swiping, no PINs, no delays.
That means a coach isn’t stuck outside the locker room because their credential was left in a jacket, and a broadcaster isn’t scrambling for an ID during a live hit. Instead, they move freely, even in the most time-sensitive moments.
Facial authentication provides the kind of effortless experience that elite-level players, staff and VIPs expect. But it also closes critical vulnerabilities in swipe-card security. Anyone who has worked in a building with access cards knows how porous these systems are—cards get lost, stolen or borrowed, and it’s all too easy for bad actors to tailgate or persuade staff to badge them in by claiming they’ve forgotten their card.
All of these are solved by facial authentication. The advanced AI in Alcatraz’s Rock system not only authenticates legitimate users, it can also detect attempts to tailgate and alert security personnel.
Our new partnership with Premier Sports Network expands our ability to bring facial authentication to more stadiums and venues. Together, we’re helping safeguard critical spaces while supporting day-to-day operations.
That will help players and staff keep their heads in the game and focus on what’s important: winning, on the field and off.