Opinion: Was the Fan Wall introduced in ISL 2020/21 a hit or miss?

The initiative was among many new inventions due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The art of broadcasting football games in new ways became ever so important when the matches could not be played with fans in the stadium. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the teams to play in empty stadiums, so as to contain the spread of the virus. Games behind closed doors, artificial fan noise and concepts like the fan wall became the new normal.

The players continued to play in silence, but the viewers at home could feel some level of euphoria of cheering their team on. There were banners of support on the empty seats and pictures of the fans on them, so that the stadium would feel less empty to both the players and fans back home.

What is the ISL Fan Wall?

Following in the footsteps of many elite leagues around the globe, the organizers of the Indian Super League introduced the Fan Wall. The Fan Wall Program was introduced to give the viewers at home a chance to feature on the big screen at the venue. There was a process to participate in the program through the official website channels.

After due process and verification, a fan of either team during a match could sign-up and get the chance to have the organizers record and share their “fan generated content” with lakhs of viewers worldwide. The Fan Wall was an interesting initiative. It brought the fans closer to the game at a time they were to stay indoors due to the pandemic.

The participating viewers would have their reactions of joy and disappointment displayed on the big screen in accordance with the events on the pitch. The idea was unique in Indian football and was also adopted in the highly popular Indian Premier League.

Future Relevance

The 2021/22 season will be upon us in a few months’ time. Given the current situation, the possibility of having fans back into the stadiums looks slim. Even if they are allowed back in, it will be at a gradual pace and in partial capacity. This begs the question - will the ISL Fan Wall stay relevant once the fans are allowed back into the stands?

The answer is yes. The ISL Fan Wall is a hit. It gives the viewers back home, who cannot travel or be at the stadiums a chance to be part of the action. It gives the opportunity to specially abled fans to be featured for their teams while supporting them from home. A special area should be assigned permanently at each venue for the Fan Wall. 

Final Outlook

The ISL Fan Wall was an interesting initiative, one of the firsts in India and became popular among supporters. It will stay relevant for another year or so, as the country slowly returns to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic. The program must continue even when fans can safely fill the seats. It gives the players a sense of support, seeing that the fans are backing them from their homes.

Was the initiative a hit or a miss? As a matter of personal opinion, it was a hit. There are a lot of positives to take away from the Fan Wall Program. The number of fan walls could be increased, so that more viewers could feature in the broadcast. The ISL Fan Wall is here to stay and could lead to new innovations in sports broadcasting.

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