Imply® Facial Recognition broadens and diversifies stadium crowds

Facial identification is no longer a differentiator. It has become the operating standard at Brazil’s largest arenas. Under the General Sports Law (Law 14.597/2023), facial recognition became mandatory for access to stadiums with capacity above 20,000 people. One year into network-wide operation, the indicators show the technology delivered more than legal compliance. It delivered a larger, younger and more diverse public inside the gates.

The data comes from Imply® ElevenTickets, the leading supplier of technology for clubs, stadiums and arenas in South America. The survey consolidates information from the venues where the company operates access control, among them Arena Castelão, Arena das Dunas, Arena Pernambuco, Arena Fonte Nova, Arena Independência and Beira-Rio. Across the network, attendance of fans under 18 grew 43.5% since the switch.

The case of Sport Club Internacional helps explain the shift in profile. At Beira-Rio, the female audience rose 42.3%, while attendance of fans under 18 climbed 145% over the same period. The message to the market is clear: safer, smoother access speaks directly to families, and families are bringing their children back to the stadium.

Imply® ElevenTickets facial recognition: access granted in under a second

The foundation of this result is Imply® ElevenTickets facial recognition, built on multiple layers of security and developed with 100% in-house R&D, with software and hardware designed and manufactured by the company in Rio Grande do Sul. The system identifies the face and grants access in a fraction of a second, with no card, QR code or physical media.

How three-step validation works

The ML11 reader module runs the three stages of access in a single flow. It detects the fan’s presence, authenticates the face through artificial intelligence and deep learning, and authorizes or denies entry according to the ticket, the sector and the time. Verification happens in under 0.3 seconds, with accuracy above 99.9% and a live detection feature that blocks fraud attempts using photos or videos. In practice, the line moves, the turnstile turns, and entry stops being an operational bottleneck.

The operation rests on global standards of security and privacy. The company is certified in ISO 27001 (Information Security), held by only 0.001% of Brazilian companies, along with ISO 9001 and PCI DSS, and operates in full compliance with Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD). On a subject as sensitive as biometrics, this layer of governance matters as much as the technology itself.

“When the fan enters the arena with just their face, without a card or physical media, and validation happens in under a second, the entrance stops being a barrier. That convenience brings in new audiences, such as families and younger fans, and it creates security for clubs, spectators and arenas. From there, every entry becomes information: the club knows its crowd better and opens new revenue streams,” says Tironi Paz Ortiz, CEO and founder of Imply®, whose track record includes clients such as Conmebol and FIFA.

The company’s history backs the claim. Imply® pioneered online ticket sales for Brazilian football in 2007 and has since sold more than 65 million tickets, powering operations at the highest-scale events, including the FIFA World Cup, Copa América and Conmebol competitions. Facial recognition is the most recent step in this evolution, because it closes the loop between buying the ticket and entering the stadium.

From access control to a relationship that generates revenue

Facial recognition at the gate is only the first step in a new relationship with the fan. Biometric registration builds a legitimate, consented database that makes it possible to map consumption habits and personalize service inside the arena. The club comes to know who enters, when they enter and through which gate, information that used to be simply lost.

Access data as a commercial asset

This knowledge opens the way to precise offers. By recognizing that a fan tends to arrive at the same time and through the same gate, the club can engage in a personalized conversation: guiding their movement, suggesting products and services and following their journey from the stadium all the way home. Each interaction stops being an operational cost and becomes an opportunity for loyalty and revenue.

The territory to explore is wide. Reading this data qualifies sponsorships, commercial activations and membership programs by connecting ticketing, access, cashless and loyalty in a single ecosystem. Imply® ElevenTickets Data Analytics and Business Intelligence solutions turn the access flow into business intelligence, access control for people and vehicles extends that reach from the parking lot to the stands, and Imply® ElevenTickets® membership management converts that relationship into recurring revenue.

Present in more than 125 countries, Imply® remains a world reference in technology for sports and entertainment. The legal requirement was the starting point. What comes after it is each club’s decision.

Explore the complete access control and Imply® ElevenTickets facial recognition platform and find out how to modernize access management at your venue.