Premier League to feature fan walls, no crowd noise

When the English Premier League restarts play amid the coronavirus pandemic on June 17, fans will be welcomed to take part in the action in a unique way.

Per Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard, Premier League fixtures will include "fan walls" that include supporters and season ticket holders. Unlike other competitions, however, it's expected fan noise will not be pumped into stadiums to be heard by footballers on the pitch.

Kilpatrick also reported that the league will offer a specific camera for goal celebrations and that clubs can play audio for game "trigger points," such as goals, substitutions and kickoffs.  

Earlier on Monday, Tottenham Hotspur announced a live video fan wall will be visual for Friday's match versus Manchester United. Those with Spurs season tickets can enter a contest and, if they win, cheer Tottenham on via a Zoom account.

Sporting events throughout Europe and around the world are occurring behind closed doors and without fans because of the uncontrolled virus outbreak. The Danish Superliga first allowed supporters to join video walls via a Zoom conference call in late May. Since resuming play last month, the German Bundesliga has pumped crowd noise into broadcasts.

Organizations such as NASCAR and the UFC have elected to not include virtual crowd sounds for their broadcasts.