The game looks the same and sounds the same, so long as you don’t look beyond the boundaries of the field.
And that is why DAZN’s decision to use atmospheric-enhanced audio makes sense with the Premier League's return to play after the pause from the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit with none of the games including spectators. DAZN’s broadcasts of these games and all for the remainder of the season will feature sound devised by EA Sports — but there are also options to use a natural sound broadcast, without the fan noise.
Artificial crowd noise was employed by various broadcasters soon after the return of the Bundesliga in May, and it’s been successful in large part because it creates a familiar atmosphere that allows the viewers to focus on the game. The absence of fans becomes less obvious, less distracting. It doesn’t feel different as the game progresses. It feels like big-time soccer, which it certainly is.
Sporting News conducted a recent Twitter poll asking those who’d watched Bundesliga games in the U.S. whether they preferred those with natural sound — only the players and coaches communicating on the field — or the enhanced crowd noise. Fans overwhelmingly preferred the enhanced sound: 59 percent to 41 percent.
This is one of the first times sports fans in Canada will get the chance to experience enhanced audio. EA Sports sampled 92 different crowd sounds and cheers to create these effects. And it will be authentic, not generic. The sound in each game will be taken from past matchups involving those particular teams at that particular stadium.
That being said, there are ways to watch the games without crowd noise on DAZN.
MORE: How to watch Premier League games in Canada
How to watch Premier League games with or without crowd audio enhancement
Every Premier League game shown on DAZN in Canada will have atmospheric-enhanced audio, a feature from EA Sports, to try to provide a viewing experience that fans are accustomed to — with a crowd in the stands.
However, some games will have the option for users to select a natural sound option, which will include audio from the stadium only. For those games, users will see an additional tile labeled "Stadium Sound" which they can select.
For the Manchester City-Liverpool game on July 2, there's a third option: Armchair Analysts, which will provide commentary from Shay Given, Emile Heskey and Harry Kewell.