With professional sports now returning without fans in the stands, the lack of crowd noise could impact viewers’ experiences.
Pitch
As some professional sports, like European soccer leagues and Major League Baseball,
make their return, they are doing so without fans in the stands. The lack of crowd
noise and number of empty seats changes the atmosphere of the game, not just for the
athletes and personnel on the field, but for the fans watching from home as well.
To overcome this, some networks are using artificial crowd noise during broadcasts.
Glenn Cummins, associate professor and associate dean for research and grants in the College of Media & Communication, is available to discuss the impact these broadcasts will have on fans watching from home, including the impact the lack of crowd noise or use of artificial crowd noise will have on viewers' experiences.
Expert
Glenn Cummins, associate professor and associate dean for research and grants, College
of Media & Communication, (806) 834-3117 or glenn.cummins@ttu.edu
Talking points
• Watching sports is a social activity, and the lack of fans can negatively impact
viewers' attitudes of the broadcast.
• Previous research has shown that when crowd noise has been enhanced, audiences rated
the competition as more exciting.
• The effect of artificial crowd noise was strongest when the competition was dull.
• The same effect has been observed for radio and television broadcasts.
