Fox will utilize virtual fans for its MLB game broadcasts beginning Saturday.
The NY Post reports the use of augmented reality is designed to make viewers feel as if telecasts are as normal as possible, despite the ongoing pandemic that has left ballparks empty.
“The original concept sounds like something that would never even happen — pie in the sky,” Fox Sports executive vice president Brad Zager told The Post. “Pretty quick after this pandemic hit we thought we could be in a position to produce games without crowds.
“We were dead set on trying to make the broadcast with no crowd feel as authentic and organic as possible. We want to give people an escape.”
Zager provided The Post a sneak peek of what augmented reality is and, while not perfect, it does look realistic.
Fox also is working with the NFL, which could implement it on games if, as it appears now, most, if not all, could be crowd-less.
“We will learn a lot,” Zager said. “The NFL has been partnering with us and knows where we are in this process, and we will continue to work with them as we get closer to NFL season in rolling it out there, if we do.”
Three weeks ago, Fox, led by senior vice president of graphic technology & integration Zac Fields and their partners on the project, Silver Spoon Animation and SMT, along with MLB, sent officials to Chase Field in Phoenix to see what a virtual crowd would look like during a game. The technology gives the network ways to make the look more appealing.
Saturday’s Yankees-Nationals telecast will feature virtual fans and Fox can gear it the way it pleases.
Fox has the ability to decide the attendance. At Nationals Park on Saturday, it can program whether it wants 30 percent or whatever of the crowd to be Yankees fans.
The fans will even dress according to the weather and will show emotion depending on what happens in the game. They could do the wave.
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