Virtual Sporting Events

 

   COVID 19 has caused many issues for the past 11 months. Many people, companies, and organizations have had to adjust their operations to maintain a safe space to work. Here at Harding, it is no different. Although we have had in person classes we still need to wear masks, sanitize, and social distance. A big change this year is that we are not allowed to watch sporting events in person. Men’s and women’s basketball, here at Harding, is only viewable on HU16’s livestream. Professional sports have been no different. The NBA has not allowed fans and the NFL has allowed a limited amount of fans for specific arenas. However, the pandemic has helped the rise of virtual meetings instead of in-person meetings. We, as students, have had a countless number of Zoom and Google meetings this past year. Professional sports league’s have also had to use this technology. The NBA and NFL has allowed fans to be at the games through video calls and huge LED screens so that the players can feel as though fans are watching. This has been great to help the players feel like they are in a game with a live audience, and help fans feel like they are at the game cheering for their favorite team. Fans can sign up or pay (depending on the team) to be a virtual fan for the different professional sports teams.

    The Golden State Warriors, a professional basketball team for the NBA, has found a way to maximize the virtual fan experience. They call their virtual fan experience the “Dub Hub”. The virtual fans get special access to different exclusive camera angles of the game, interact with other fans watching live, and can even interact with the players themselves as they prepare for the game. This helps the players think that there are fans in the audience and fans can get a chance to interact with players and be on TV, like if they were really at the game. Although the “Dub Hub” is still a work in progress, I expect that more teams will try to replicate the Warrior’s fan experience themselves. 

    Although the pandemic has been a challenge for everyone, it has helped foster new and creative ideas to help make these unprecedented times feel normal again.