Bundesliga broadcaster offers viewers recorded crowd noise

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FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Bundesliga – Borussia Moenchengladbach v FC Cologne – Borussia-Park, Moenchengladbach, Germany – March 11, 2020 General view of a match ball during the warm up before the match that will be played behind closed while the number of coronavirus cases grow around the world REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo DFL regulations prohibit any use of photographs as image sequences and/or quasi-video

BERLIN (Reuters) – Broadcaster Sky is offering viewers the option of watching Bundesliga matches with recorded crowd noise, including singing, when the league resumes without spectators in the stadiums following the coronavirus stoppage on Saturday.

Sky said on its website that viewers could choose to watch the matches with natural sound, which is likely to consist of the shouts of players and coaches echoing around the empty stadium.

However, it said there would also be “a freely selectable new alternative audio track with a recorded stadium atmosphere”.

“In addition to the live commentary, it also plays back fan chants for the participating teams and crowd reactions to the match,” Sky said.

For viewers who preferred the original sound, Sky said that “the focus will be more on the calls of players and coaches as well as the sounds of the ball action”.