The English Premier League won’t walk alone into its return. EA Sports and the “FIFA” video game will be right alongside it.
What’s the news:
Sky Sports and EA Sports are teaming up to bring sounds of the game to broadcasts worldwide, hammering fans with the most realistic version of soccer’s return.
Sky Sports and EA Sports would use the “FIFA” video game division to include simulated crowd chants and noises for specific teams. So the sounds fired during an Arsenal match will play on your screen when they have a match at home.
The goal is to recreate “a range of bespoke and team-specific crowd noises and chants to bring the vibrant atmosphere of the Premier League to the restart. Viewers can select the Sky channel to watch with the added sound or with stadium noise,” according to Sky Sports.
Why it matters:
- Per The Verge: “While some sports leagues are beginning to pick up seasons suddenly paused by the global coronavirus pandemic, safety precautions means teams play in empty stadiums. Sky Sports viewers can choose to watch the channel either with the added sound effect or without.”
Soccer leagues experiment
- Two returning world soccer leagues experimented with crowd noise. South Korea’s K-League added crowd sounds from the stadium’s speakers to simulate the experience, according to BBC News. Germany’s Bundesliga added artificial noise as well, providing an experience similar to the real game.