HOUSTON, Texas –The Houston Astros and Major League Baseball today announced the launch of MLB Go-Ahead Entry, the hands-free, free-flow ballpark entry experience, at Minute Maid Park for the 2024 season. Fans can register now in the MLB Ballpark app and begin using Go-Ahead Entry on Opening Day. First introduced last season at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Go-Ahead Entry system uses facial authentication technology to allow ticket holders who have chosen to use the service to enter the ballpark at dedicated gates at full walking speed without stopping. Go-Ahead Entry will be available at all entrances at Minute Maid Park in 2024. Fans will also have the option at all entrances to enter via traditional ticket scanning methods.

“After a successful pilot program last season, we’re excited to bring the Go-Ahead Entry option to more fans this season,” Karri Zaremba, Senior Vice President, Product – Ballpark Experience and Ticketing, MLB. “This technology is the next innovation for the ballpark experience as we continue to remove friction and help fans better enjoy their time at our games. By expanding Go-Ahead Entry to more stadiums across the league, more fans have the opportunity to experience this innovative system and spend more time watching the action on the field.”

“We are excited to bring Go-Ahead Entry to Minute Maid Park in 2024,” said Marcel Braithwaite, Senior VP, Business Operations, Houston Astros. “We are always looking for ways to improve our fan experience at Minute Maid Park, and the addition of this technology provides a way for our fans to have a more streamlined way to enter the stadium, adding to a better ballpark experience.”

Fans can enroll in Go-Ahead Entry on the MLB Ballpark app by following the prompts that capture an image of the user’s face. That image is converted into a unique alphanumeric code, and then the image itself is deleted. This code, also known as a token, is associated with the respective fan’s account. When an enrolled fan walks through Go-Ahead Entry Lanes, a facial authentication camera scans their face to match with the enrolled tokens in the system and allows access. Once fans have enrolled in MLB Go-Ahead Entry, they can use the service at any MLB ballpark that has installed the technology.

MLB Go-Ahead Entry, which launched its pilot program in August 2023 with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, includes a combination of free-flow security screening technology and facial authentication-based gate management, resulting in quicker, hands-free entry into the ballpark. MLB’s Go-Ahead Entry system technology uses a camera that identifies any opted-in fan as a registered member as they walk in, automatically validating tickets once identified. Fans who used Go-Ahead Entry lanes at Citizens Bank Park last season went through 68% faster than a traditional entry lane, with 2.5 times more throughput than the next fastest traditional lane.

For more information about MLB Go-Ahead Entry, visit astros.com/goahead.