LOS ANGELES – Fox will be taking viewers out to the ballgame by adding a virtual crowd in parks during its Major League Baseball broadcasts this season.
The network revealed Thursday that it will include computer-generated fans in the stands beginning with the three games it televises Saturday. Fox begins its coverage with the Milwaukee Brewers at the Chicago Cubs, followed by the San Francisco Giants at the Los Angeles Dodgers, and concluding with the New York Yankees at the Washington Nationals.
Given that fan opinions about crowd noise being added to baseball games has been mixed, Fox may draw some jeers for adding virtual fans. Fox Sports vice president Brad Zager, who oversees live event productions and operations, hopes people give it a chance.
“We believe that what we’re doing is creating a natural viewing experience,” Zager said. “Sports is supposed to be an escape, and when people have that escape we want it to feel as normal as possible when there’s very little normalcy, like a crowd at a baseball game on a Saturday.
“We’re not looking to fool everyone. We know it is a virtual crowd. But we also know how jarring watching a game in an empty stadium is on TV.”