There’s a good possibility that if there is a football season this fall there probably won’t be fans in attendance.
According to football announcer Joe Buck, Fox is planning to use fake crowd noise and will put in virtual fans to make broadcasts less awkward for the viewers at home if fans aren’t allowed to attend games this season.
Joe Buck to SiriusXM’s "Andy Cohen Live": Fox Sports will pump in crowd noise and put virtual fans in the stands for NFL games in empty stadiums. SBJ Media is live: 🔒https://t.co/11fxKTc6bv🔒 pic.twitter.com/baK9S1LAsq
— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) May 13, 2020
The Internet had mixed reactions to the idea of having virtual crowds for games.
This is gonna be weird and unless they manage to trick the players into hearing that pumped in noise and seeing that fake crowd, they won't get energy from it. https://t.co/d7nPy1b6E2
— Gavin Fritton 🇺🇦 (@gavinesq) May 14, 2020
Have zero problem with fake crowd noise being pumped in for #NFL games this fall if no fans allowed. If you have a problem with it, you prob think many of those canned laughs for sitcoms were the real thing . #notabigdeal
— .@JohnTelich8 (@JohnTelich8) May 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/sjusean/status/1260758926326476801
Fake crowd noise on @NFLonFOX for @nfl??? Why not have option with an audio team strictly doing live play by play and analysis for gambling focus? @MitchMossRadio @paulyhoward and many others would be 🧨
— Josh Brady (@JEBtweettime) May 14, 2020
Fake crowd noise and digitized fans for NFL broadcasts? Bad idea @FOXSports. Really Really Bad Idea.
— Joel (@joelct48) May 14, 2020