NBA announces partnership with 'Clear' - a biometric company; expects all 30 arenas to be at full capacity next season
The 2020-21 NBA season has been one of the most unusual campaigns in the history of the league. One of the main reasons behind this unique season has been the absence of fans from the arenas due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even though some teams have welcomed back limited fans into the stadiums, the atmosphere is still very different from any other NBA season.
However, if the latest reports are anything to go by, the NBA is hopeful of having all 30 arenas at full capacity starting next season. For millions of NBA fans across the United States, this should be music to their ears, given that many of them have not seen live basketball since March of 2020.
NBA to partner with biometric screening company "Clear"
The NBA today announced its partnership with "Clear" - a biometric screening company known for its expedited security process at hundreds of airports worldwide. This very partnership has led the league to believe that fans could soon be back in the arena come start of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The facilities provided by Clear will be available to all the 30 teams at their respective venues. It will help in terms of concerns regarding the safety of the fans. All 30 teams are not required to use the programs, though, as per league sources.
Below mentioned are the full details disclosed by Baxter Holmes of ESPN, which states how the technology provided by Clear would come into effect. Here is what the report said:
"Fans can download the Clear app and upload an identifying document along with a selfie. To link their COVID-19 test results, fans log into their testing account through the app, and results will be linked to their health pass."
It will be an easy and effective way to emulate any kind of risk moving forward as all kinds of Covid-related reports of an individual will constantly get uploaded via this app.
This is Clear's first leaguewide partnership. Before this, they were partnering with individual teams from MLS, MLB, NHL, and the NFL. They partnered with three teams from the NBA until now - the Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, and the Orlando Magic.