The 2020 NFL season could look different in a variety of ways.
Obviously, if the coronavirus pandemic causes the league to not have fans in the stands it would have major live-viewing consequences. But it could impact at-home viewership, as well.
FOX Sports commentator Joe Buck understands that. And Buck believes the NFL could make a few drastic changes like pumping crowd noise into the broadcast and putting virtual fans in the stands, all to enhance the at-home experience.
“It’s pretty much a done deal,” Buck told SirusXm’s “Andy Cohen Live,” as transcribed by Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand.
“I think whoever is going to be at that control is going to have to be really good at their job and be realistic with how a crowd would react depending on what just happened on the field. So it’s really important,” Buck said. “And then on top of that… they’re looking at ways to put virtual fans in the stands, so when you see a wide shot it looks like the stadium is jam-packed and in fact it’ll be empty.”
Whether you like or hate the ideas, that’s up to your own interpretation. But the fact the league is trying to incorporate technology because they think it can help the product certainly is a promising sign.
