São Paulo, Brazil – 2019 – Combining a membership programme with digital access control. That was a key differentiator for Palmeiras, and marked a turning point in the club’s trajectory. After partnering with NewC, the São Paulo-based club, Palmeiras experienced rapid membership growth and cutting-edge stadium access control by using facial recognition as one of the first clubs in Brazil. 

With matches occurring frequently – often every three days in Brazil, it is crucial for clubs to adapt to the vast demand from their fans. Efficient ticketing operations are key for clubs to fill up their stadiums – and make football not just about a game, but a whole experience to share with friends and family. The presale ticketing windows are short (around 2-3 hours), and ticketing platforms must thus be fit to handle lots of traffic. Palmeiras’ platform has managed peak loads of up to 15,000 tickets sold in just one hour, enabling as many supporters to enter Allianz Parque as possible. 

Facial Recognition

Palmerias implemented a 100% facial recognition powered access control system to improve stadium security and enhance the overall fan experience. As thus, the club utilizes the matchday experience through technology and collaboration with public security authorities. With facial recognition access, Palmeiras set a global security benchmark for other clubs – and eliminated the lines caused by paper and mobile tickets. 

Avanti Membership Program

Palmerias dramatically grew their Avanti Membership Program by 517% and increased fan loyalty through recurring memberships to keep fans coming back to stadium. The extensive Avanti program contains 8 tiers, each offering unique ticketing benefits for the club’s fans. All memberships operate on a recurring basis, with tokenized payments and automatic monthly renewals. Segmentation supports the pre-sale ticketing, granting prioritized access to different member groups. This model ensures a steady revenue stream and continuous fan engagement for the club. 

Palmeiras has ensured Brazil’s largest occupancy rates and fanbase size since 2023. This was partly due to the digital enhancement of Avanti through digital solutions – and the change engaged Palmeiras fans even further. As thus, the volume of ticket sales is high enough to read one-day sellouts before game days – attracting more than 1 million views per day. For Palmeiras, it has been important to partner up with an adaptable, digital partner:

“It has been an excellent experience working with NewC Sport because it’s probably the first time a club in Brazil has had software developed specifically for their needs. The synergy between our and NewC teams has been fantastic.” — Everaldo Coelho, Marketing Director, Palmeiras.

If you have not yet – watch the video about the CAM x NewC partnership here: Palmeiras & NewC Sport – a Prosperous Partnership 

Palmeiras sets the benchmark for membership success in Brazilian football. The Avanti fan membership program is currently at its peak, with almost 200,000 subscribers and a record R$70 million in revenue in 2024. Including game-related earnings, fans generated close to R$120 million in the 23/24 season — making it the largest and most profitable membership program in Brazil. Read more about Palmeiras’ success here: Palmeiras Has the Best Year in History at Avanti.