RB Leipzig took on Mainz in Bundesliga action on Sunday morning at Opel Arena in Mainz, Germany. Due to coronavirus concerns, the match was played in an empty stadium, as all Bundesliga matches have been played since the return of the league.
What was different about the match on Sunday morning was that the broadcast has experimented with adding in fake crowd noise to make the game feel more natural.
(Note: The players in the stadium, according to FS1’s Alexi Lalas, cannot hear the noise. It’s being added in the broadcast feed.)
It’s a practice that’s been discussed as a possibility for teams playing in empty stadiums, but has so far been avoided due to concerns that the pumped-in noise would feel artificial and silly.
After having watched most of the first half, in which RB Leipzig is just trouncing Mainz, I have to say: It’s much better.
Yes, it can feel a bit uncanny to hear crowd noise and then look up and see empty seats. But soccer is a game that relies on atmosphere as much as anything. Your eyes are on the field for the most part, so you don’t notice the disparity much. With the chants, it feels like a soccer game.
Timo Werner is back in business for @RBLeipzig_EN 💥⚽ pic.twitter.com/XAz2mRISFf
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 24, 2020
I’ll admit: I thought this wasn’t going to work. And I’ll admit that I was totally wrong. It does work, it makes the game feel more special and real.
A lot of people felt similarly, but not all:
The crowd whistles are a great touch. https://t.co/cv24xQ4VCM
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) May 24, 2020
Exactly. It’s not about fooling anyone. It’s simply about enhancing the TV viewing experience. There’s comfort and familiarity in the soundtrack. Still think the art/skill involved in inserting crowd noise in a game will improve w/ more games. Others leagues/sports taking note. https://t.co/YrjvNrx7hZ
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) May 24, 2020
RB Leipzig putting Atlanta Falcons tactics to good use and pumping crowd noise in. I do not hate it.
— Aaron West (@oeste) May 24, 2020
Don’t mind the pumped in crowd noise.
— Dan Thomas (@DanThomasESPN) May 24, 2020
I think if it's done right like this, adding crowd noise can make it feel like you're watching a regular game on TV (outside of the empty seats, of course.) This Bundesliga match on FS1 sounds much better than I expected it would. pic.twitter.com/yjtcD2KdSE
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 24, 2020
Mainz playing crowd noise in their home stadium v. RB Leipzig. With the advertizing boards and tarp covering a lot of empty seats, it almost sounds/looks like a normal game. There are even whistles from the crowd when Leipzig get a yellow card etc. Sound engineer is going for it!
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) May 24, 2020
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