Virtual fans and fake crowd noise could be coming to sports TV. Plus: a new date for IndyCar at St. Petersburg; MLS is reportedly looking at restarting its season with a multi-week tournament; “The Last Dance” is headed to ABC.
Nets looking into virtual fans, fake crowd noise
The New York Post reported Wednesday that ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC and Turner Sports are exploring whether to superimpose virtual fans at sporting events played in empty stadiums, a suggestion that has been floated widely throughout sports’ pandemic hiatus. Fox Sports play-by-play voice Joe Buck said in a Tuesday interview with SiriusXM that Fox was not only looking into using virtual fans but adding artificial crowd noise as well. [NYP 5.13]
IndyCar sets St. Pete for October 25
IndyCar announced Wednesday that its Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which was originally set to be the season opener on March 15, has been rescheduled for October 25 and will serve as the season finale. It will be the second October race of a season that was originally supposed to end September 20.
The IndyCar season is currently set to begin June 6 at Texas. [IndyCar 5.13]
MLS reportedly looking into Orlando tournament next month
Major League Soccer has proposed a return to play that would have all 26 teams compete in an Orlando-based tournament starting in late June, according to multiple reports this week. Per The Athletic, the tournament would begin around June 22 and last four-or-five weeks, with no immediate word on whether the matches would count toward the regular season standings. [The Athletic 5.12, ESPN.com 5.13]
Plus: “Last Dance,” “Herd,” NBC pay cuts
ABC will begin re-airing the ESPN Michael Jordan documentary series “The Last Dance” starting May 23 and running through June 20, per an advance schedule. … The FS1 talk show “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” returned to its usual studio for the first time since March on Wednesday, marking the first of the network’s talk shows to do so. … All of NBC Sports’ on-air broadcasters have agreed to temporary pay cuts through the end of the year, per Sports Business Daily, joining ESPN and Fox Sports in the cost-cutting measure. [ESPN Press Room; Front Office Sports 5.13; Sports Business Daily 5.13]
