Amid memes, IPL audience find virtual viewings to be immersive
CHENNAI: Social media was flooded with memes and jokes on the IPL audience reactions and edited cheering that took place during the matches. However, fans who are part of the virtual audiences say that the experience is akin to watching the match in physical stadiums.
From the delayed reactions to exaggerated cheering, Twitter netizens did not hold back in their mocking of the IPL audiences. Many memes of popular Kollywood and Bollywood celebrities as reactions to the cheering circulated the internet and many felt that the cheering was too forced.
However, some fans feel that the effects were there to help with immersion. “Much like all of us during the first few days of the lockdown, the organisers are also trying to adapt to the new format of operations. I’m sure that as more matches occur, they’ll be able to refine the process, and with fan feedback, tone down the cheering effects. They just need time,” said one fan.
For those who bought virtual tickets, the experience was akin to watching the match at home. Those with virtual tickets entered a video-sharing chatroom, where fan reactions and the match were played on a split-screen.
“It felt very immersive because you could watch the match and see the audience responses at the same time. It felt a lot like watching the match in real-time because fans still wore their jerseys and were cheering from their living room,” said Karthik, a local CSK fan who bought a virtual ticket.
Adding to the experience were fan meetings set up by various fan clubs. The members would join a private video chatroom two hours before the match to speak to each other.
“Even when going to the stadium, we would go two hours before the match to get our seats, so it felt very similar. We also got to talk about our match expectations and about our favourite players, much like we would at stadiums. It was also nice to see the international fans,” said Vinodh S, a CSK fan.
As the matches continue, players hope that the match-watching becomes more streamlined. Many international fans are also expectant for this online trend to carry forward even after the pandemic, as it allows them to share the experience with Indians fans in real-time.