Fox Sports, 3 Partners to Bring ‘Virtual Fans’ to MLB Broadcasts This Weekend

“No seventh-inning stretch needed for this crowd!” tweeted Fox Sports Thursday, announcing the introduction of “virtual fans” for live MLB broadcasts, beginning Saturday. Fox collaborated with Pixotope software, Silver Spoon Animation and SMT to “deliver an elevated viewing experience,” said the network. Pixotope describes itself as an “open software-based solution” for creating virtual studios, augmented reality and on-air graphics. Silver Spoon is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based studio specializing in motion-capture and virtual production services. SMT supplies “visual data intelligence” services for live sports broadcasts, including “virtual insertion.”