New Delhi, April 6: One of the biggest stakeholders of IPL is the fans. And the IPL 2021 is no different and for the second year in a row, the league will be played minus fans with an eye on the COVID-19 situation. But host broadcasters Star India is keeping no stone unturned to ensure that the fan engagement rises to the next level after a terrific display of smart innovation to engage fans during the IPL 2020.
And Star India Sports Head Sanjog Gupta promises much more. While keeping the cards close to his chest, Sanjog said it will not just be an out-of-the-box experience for the fans, but also it will take them much closer to the players than they have ever been.
"I can tell you that we are working very closely with our sound designers on enhancing the sound design from last year. There are going to be new chants as some of the rising players who are now not on the cusp of greatness, are already in the midst of that journey. That forms a part of what we're calling our belief in verticals.
"So, there are three pillars or three verticals that form a part of the overall product experience, the first part is unique. The second one is interactivity. And the third one is emotion. In the viewing experience, we are looking at three components. One is the visual design, which is now that you do not have crowds in the stadium, you can get much closer to players with your camera angles, you can have a lot more replays. You can have many more ultra-motion and super slo-mo replays because you're not cutting around to the crowd," Sanjog told ANI.
"So, I think the action on the ground will be seen much better and viewers will genuinely feel much closer to the action than they have in the past. Now that the stands are empty, you can place your cameras in novel positions from which you can get different views of the game. I think that's one part of it, which is the visual design.
"And the other part of the theme is the audio design, which I just spoke off where the other thing that we're doing is we're working very closely with Dolby to also heighten the sounds of the game. I mean, you can hear more sounds from the field of play, including some conversations, including the sound of the ball hitting the bat," he explained.
Does that mean more insight into the fun banters between players? Sanjog says it is 'a yes' and 'a no'. While he does agree that fans will get to hear conversations, players will not be made to feel intimidated.
"It will entail every now and then listening in to what MS Dhoni is telling Ravindra Jadeja at the bowling crease or what Rishabh Pant is chatting away in the ear of the batsman at the crease. So, we will obviously focus on capturing those conversations."
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