Canned crowd noise during Corona - Yay or Nay?

[McGrathsipan]

So what is everyone’s opinion on canned crowd noise in televised matches during Corona?

Personally I am a big fan. Sky are currently doing it for the Bundesliga with great result.
I have the option of turning it on/off on my streaming service, and the difference is huge. It goes from a boring training session to an actual game.

I realize it removes authenticity and some were looking forward to hearing the players and coaches communicate.

It will likely also be applied to the Premier League when it starts up again.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...noise-heading-Premier-League-heres-works.html

Why are they doing it? Its the same canned crowd noise they do on the highlight reels - to increase what I dont know. Is it to keep the players egos massaged?
Watching goals highlights from league 2 with 400 people at a match and a goal goes in and it sounds like old trafford after a 90th minute winner against liverpool.

I dont like it. Its artificial but its a marketing tool to make more mugs subscribe to their channels.

 

[Adisa]

I watched with both the noise on and off during the Dortmund-Bayern game. I have to say, the noise made it batter. Without the noise felt like I was watching a training session.

 

[Mr. Christian]

Crowd noise should be an option. Sex dolls in the stands should be a must.

I’m liking this.
Now that people are out again, we could arrange a pillow fight outside the stadium. Just 5-a-side like to keep the ‘congestion’ down.... Don’t wanna go too crazy!

 

[VP89]

I want fake crowd noises, sex dolls in the stand, and crazy random T20 style celebration music when a goal happens.

 

[Dave_MUFC]

Why are they doing it? Its the same canned crowd noise they do on the highlight reels - to increase what I dont know. Is it to keep the players egos massaged?
Watching goals highlights from league 2 with 400 people at a match and a goal goes in and it sounds like old trafford after a 90th minute winner against liverpool.

I dont like it. Its artificial but its a marketing tool to make more mugs subscribe to their channels.

Don't know how the players egos will be affected when they can't actually hear it themselves...

Also they can be smart about it and implement league 2 style crowds into league 2 matches, louder crowds for CL etc.

Whatever anyone tries to argue, crowd noise definitely makes a match much better. Without, it just feels like a training game, and any spectacular goals are just so anti climatic.

 

[el diablorojo]

Just caught some of the NRL (on sky at the moment) and they have crowd noise and find it much better than BT Bundesliga coverage with no crowd noise so it's a yes from me.

 

[stevoc]

No its fecking stupid.

 

[jojojo]

RL has just restarted in Australia. Brisbane v Parramatta is live on Sky now. It's being played behind closed doors, but it doesn't sound nearly as hollow/empty as the football matches I've seen. I don't know if they've got a few hundred fans in there or if they're playing some kind of soundtrack. Whatever it is, it's not a bad background to the match.

Something similar on the football coverage would be fine - especially backed up with that idea of banners over the seating to make it look/sound less deserted.

 

[tenpoless]

Dunno how you can put noise into a can to be honest.

 

[el diablorojo]

RL has just restarted in Australia. Brisbane v Parramatta is live on Sky now. It's being played behind closed doors, but it doesn't sound nearly as hollow/empty as the football matches I've seen. I don't know if they've got a few hundred fans in there or if they're playing some kind of soundtrack. Whatever it is, it's not a bad background to the match.

Something similar on the football coverage would be fine - especially backed up with that idea of banners over the seating to make it look/sound less deserted.

It's "virtual crowd noise" and agree with you - so much better than the Bundesliga coverage I've seen on BT.

 

[paraguayo]

I'd prefer a laugh track

 

[Nickelodeon]

I liked it. It definitely made me forget that there was no crowd especially towards the end when there were whistles as Neuer was delaying his goal kick. Kudos to whoever was making these decisions. Definitely much better than the Dortmund-Schalke game which had a training match feel to it.

For reference:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[PoTMS]

Definitely better with artificial crowd noise. Really hope the broadcasters introduce it when the Premier League returns. After a while, you can ignore the visuals of a stadium with no crowd but it's hard to ignore the soulless sound of an empty stadium.

 

[Ravelation]

This is just ridiculous.
The players still have to go out and play to their best ability without the crowd, and us entitled fans can't do without hearing our own voices, this is going to be probably the one time in history when we will experience games without crowds and we are opting for fake cheering?

I'd rather experience the game how it's actually being played, this is becoming less and less a sport by the day, do we want entertainment, or are we supporting a team, i suppose you can have both but it should definitely be an option and not a standard.

 

[P-Nut]

https://hofoot.uprafa.com/player/html/6gZYsz4IH6ULK?popup=yes&autoplay=1

Highlights from Fox with crowd noise.

I liked it. It definitely made me forget that there was no crowd especially towards the end when there were whistles as Neuer was delaying his goal kick. Kudos to whoever was making these decisions. Definitely much better than the Dortmund-Schalke game which had a training match feel to it.

For reference:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

So much better that, than the eerily quiet games.

 

[jojojo]

It's "virtual crowd noise" and agree with you - so much better than the Bundesliga coverage I've seen on BT.

I've read a couple of articles on it now. I think it helps, it kills that hollow echoey sound. From the sounds of things, Sky Europe are currently airing it with the option to watch with the crowd effect or not. Kept at that kind of non-invasive buzz with occasional boosts to coincide with the action, I think it will help. I guess Sky have been working on the problem!

 

[jojojo]

I'd rather experience the game how it's actually being played, this is becoming less and less a sport by the day, do we want entertainment, or are we supporting a team, i suppose you can have both but it should definitely be an option and not a standard.

Over the years, I've watched a lot of matches with no crowd, or just a handful of people around, and it's ok when you're there - at a training ground or a local pitch or whatever. The same match played in a huge empty concrete stadium though? It sounds hollow and echoey, not just quiet, and on the telly it's worse, it just reminds you that there's something badly wrong in the world, and that this football thing is pointless. I don't want that reminder when I'm watching football. For United, my emotional investment can override it (as against LASK), but not for football or sport in general (and I normally like watching sport).

I agree with you on the optional thing though. Personally, I'll probably switch on the crowd effect. Provided the sound engineer doesn't get too carried away, I think it'll work.

 

[DeSign]

What would you prefer, a babe with no tits or one with silicone implants?
Yay for me.

Apt analogy. Man of culture.

 

[McGrathsipan]

Don't know how the players egos will be affected when they can't actually hear it themselves...

Also they can be smart about it and implement league 2 style crowds into league 2 matches, louder crowds for CL etc.

Whatever anyone tries to argue, crowd noise definitely makes a match much better. Without, it just feels like a training game, and any spectacular goals are just so anti climatic.

Well I agree that atmosphere is very important. If the players can't hear then its a pure marketing ploy.

I get some will like it but its not for me. It would make it better as a T.V. spectacle fair enough but at the back of my mind it would be too artificial

 

[ROFLUTION]

It doesn't change the experience for match going fans one iota.

It is being used in a very small sample of games until things can go back to how they were.

I know, but one small "succesful" step, can of course inspire clubs/tv-stations to inject some atmosphere-sterhoids in an empty stadium and camouflage reality. As said it's not a big step this pr se, but it's like the salami-method, where small steps can be taken to change the game, and in the end the salami (football as we knew it) is gone without is noticing.

Its like can-laugther in tv shows. Takes the power away from fans and makes them redundant on TV (if we fans ever had anything to say these days). If it inspires and becomes the main, why not just show happy fans instead of protesting ones against Kroenke/Glazer/Ashley out? China, the Glazers, all sorts of power people would potentially love to show everything is great.

 

[ValenciasDrilledCrosses]

Better than nothing. I feel like they need to experiment more with fan interaction, displays in the crowd, that sort of thing also. Pyrotechnics for a goal? Drone fan robots with speakers and TVs for faces that you can inhabit for the duration of the game and the players can hear you shout?

My MLS team does pyrotechnics after goals, it's great fun. Although a few years ago one of our players jumped onto one of the fire platforms to celebrate a goal and almost burned his face off They moved them farther from the field after that

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Don't see why this needs to he a debate. Very easy to have it be an optional feature that people can turn on and off.

 

[Judas]

It makes it so much better, its so very simple and makes it vastly more watchable. It's a no brainer for me.

 

[youngrell]

I know, but one small "succesful" step, can of course inspire clubs/tv-stations to inject some atmosphere-sterhoids in an empty stadium and camouflage reality. As said it's not a big step this pr se, but it's like the salami-method, where small steps can be taken to change the game, and in the end the salami (football as we knew it) is gone without is noticing.

Its like can-laugther in tv shows. Takes the power away from fans and makes them redundant on TV (if we fans ever had anything to say these days). If it inspires and becomes the main, why not just show happy fans instead of protesting ones against Kroenke/Glazer/Ashley out? China, the Glazers, all sorts of power people would potentially love to show everything is great.

You make some good and valuable points. Thankfully the people you talk of are not currently in control of such things so we should be ok. Protesting fans and the like gives the broadcaster a story so can’t see them getting on board.

 

[TwoSheds]

My MLS team does pyrotechnics after goals, it's great fun. Although a few years ago one of our players jumped onto one of the fire platforms to celebrate a goal and almost burned his face off They moved them farther from the field after that

 

[Mr Smith]

I'm in too minds. On the one hand atmosphere, even artificial, is better than the eerie silence you normally get behind closed doors. There's nothing wrong with wanting football to feel like football in these extreme circumstances.

On the other hand I have sympathy for the slippery slope argument. I don't know how youh stop tv companies from continuing to use it once things go back to normal, to make atmospheres seem better and artificially hype their product?

If there's a way to make sure it's only used for this short period I'm for it. If not, I'd rather not take the risk.

 

[blue blue]

I thought it might be an idea to run a massive Zoom or Microsoft meetings soundtrack over the public address system in the stadiums. We could all log into our respective teams match and shout like feck!

 

[Ollie Derbyshire]

Watching the NRL now and they are using canned crowds, working really well I think, forget there is no crowd there at times.

I know rugby is different to football but worth a try I’d say. Much better than no noise at all.

 

[Rish Sawhney]

I think it’s better with the track. Cements the idea that footballs fans are a pointless facet of modern football that can be replaced with pre recorded track. Hope they do away with stands altogether in the next few years.

 

[Offside]

Some of you need to realise that soon enough they will have crowds again at Football matches and this is just a temporary solution. Using a pre-recorded track doesn’t cement anything or set a precedent for a shift in anything - as soon as it’s safe they will allow fans back in so in the meantime they may as well create some atmosphere.

 

[Salt Bailly]

Got to laugh at some of the comments in here over such an innocuous subject.

Slippery slope. Inauthentic. Football is salami.

Only on the Caf.

 

[Teja]

I think it's very do-able and can be fairly authentic if they do it manually. i.e., have a person / group of people watching the video and have them react to the game by adding various sound effects as appropriate. It should be applied tastefully, so not every foul / refereeing decision that doesn't go the home team's way needs to be accompanied by jeering.

Maybe even get a sample audience into the studio give them several different buttons to react and average out their vote to make it even more authentic.

On the other hand if they try to automate it like FIFA does it will be a disaster.

 

[Offsideagain]

As long as there are no drums banging along for 90 mins anything is better than just hearing the coaches shouting. Players still spitting,, some before they get onto the pitch, which makes a mockery of social distancing and the like. Imagine the ball rolls over a big gob for a throw in, player picks it up throws it in and wipes his eye or something. If there is a case of Covid from one of these games, they will stop the season.

 

[Eckers99]

Did you see the Dortmund match?

Nope.

 

[njred]

100% noise of any kind. Just having the noise in the background with the commentators doing their thing just seems familiar. If it's a match I'm not concerned with but is something to pass time and watch, the noise seems right, especially if I am getting up to grab a bite or drink. Having that noise in the background just feels reassuring.

 

[POF]

The NRL have done an outstanding job. It sounds really genuine. I loved the "face in the crowd" stuff in the front rows as well.

The only issue with football is it won't sound like a genuine atmosphere without fans hurling insults at each other or the players. Or an 8 year old kid in the front row flipping the bird at a player about to take a throw in while his dad gives the "wanker" sign.

Unlikely they have canned crowd noise for that.

 

[kouroux]

As long as there are no drums banging along for 90 mins anything is better than just hearing the coaches shouting. Players still spitting,, some before they get onto the pitch, which makes a mockery of social distancing and the like. Imagine the ball rolls over a big gob for a throw in, player picks it up throws it in and wipes his eye or something. If there is a case of Covid from one of these games, they will stop the season.

I don't think they will, greed will always push for the continuation of it, one way or the other

 

[Bondi77]

Not for me thank you very much.
I am more interested in what is shouted between the players and what comes from the coaching staff as this may be the only time we may get to hear it.

 

[Drz]

Like ;any got to try both with the simulated crowd and without. The crowd noise is quite well done, and really tricks you into believing there may just be a crowd supporting the teams. But I enjoyed the crowd-less experience as well, besides paying attention to instructions being called out, was very interested in hearing the referees explain themselves in case of difficult decisions.

 

[saivet]

Watching the Dortmund match on BT Sport and I'm a fan of it. That said, I don't mind it without fake crowd noise either.