When the Covid-19 pandemic hit during 2020, the world of professional sports came to a screeching halt. With worries about crowds, the health of the athletes, and restrictions going up, the current model of professional sports became unattainable. The NBA came up with a model to get around these inhibitions, inviting twenty-two of the current thirty NBA teams to a “bubble” at Walt Disney World, isolating them from the rest of the world. While they were then able to play the rest of the season without much issue, there was a massive aspect missing from the broadcast. This was the crowd noise, which was quickly rectified by the NBA broadcast team, to mixed reception.
Digital crowd noises were mixed and used corresponding to each team, as possession switched from team to team, the crowd switched accordingly. The NBA also used this opportunity to better record the audio on the floor, wiring contact microphones under the floor to better enhance the viewing experience as they heard the squeak of shoes on the floor, and the players communicating with each other.
NBA Returns: Audio in the Bubble Features Mics From Floor to Ceiling