Mike Norrish, director of creative and digital at BT Sport, and Duncan East, head of directors and creative at Sky Sports, revealed the news at the Broadcast Sport Tech Innovation Forum
UK sport fans may not be seeing CG supporters on their screen while stadiums are empty, Sky Sports and BT Sport have revealed.
Speaking to Bubble PR’s Sadie Groom at the Broadcast Sport Tech Innovation Forum, director of creative and digital at BT Sport, Mike Norrish, and head of directors and creative at Sky Sports, Duncan East, hinted that both broadcasters aren’t currently looking at introducting CG fans to fill empty seats.
“In short, no,” Norrish said when asked whether BT Sport want to introduce them in the near future. “I don’t feel that is the desire of fans at the moment, but we have to by hyper-reactive so I’m not going to make long term predictions.”
East added: “Exactly the same. The value isn’t there. What you gain from the expense of delivering CG fans isn’t worth it.
“It works in entertainment, because there’s interaction, but just to see some fans’ faces watching a sport when they’re not really watching it – the value’s not there.”
One of the most high profile uses of CG fans has been in the NBA, where the finals saw CG fans in seats around the court in Orlando, Florida.