When the English Premier League kicks off again on Wednesday June 17, Sky viewers in the UK will have the option to watch matches with simulated crowd noises developed in partnership with EA Sports.
“A range of bespoke and team-specific crowd noises and chants” will be on offer “to bring the vibrant atmosphere of the Premier League to the restart” according to Sky, though we’re assuming they’re all going to be family friendly.
If you’re not keen on the simulated cheers and boos – which we expect will sound a lot like they do on FIFA – then you can turn them off with your remote, but they might just add a little more atmosphere to the occasion.
“With live sport on hold for over two months, we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how we broadcast in new ways to bring fans together, even if they can’t meet up to watch the match,” says Sky Sports managing director Robert Webster.
Behind closed doors
With lockdown restrictions starting to be eased in most parts of the world, some sporting contests are now able to get back underway, with appropriate social distancing and other health and safety measures in place.
The German Bundesliga has been running since the middle of May, with games playing out in front of empty stadiums. Some broadcasters have started piping in recorded crowd noises on top of the feed, including Sky Deutschland.
According to ESPN, that fake audio was put together by Sky Deutschland itself, using recordings from earlier in the season. Engineers are able to adapt the crowd noise if there’s action in either penalty area.
Presumably the UK version will run along similar lines, though Sky hasn’t revealed much in the way of detail. The involvement of EA Sports suggests there will be some artificial crowd noises, but we’ll have to wait until June 17 to hear what it sounds like.
Via The Verge