COVID-19: Yamaha trials remote cheering system in Japan

Japanese manufacturers Yamaha launched a unique remote cheering system last weekend as sports teams look for new ways to create an atmosphere at fixtures played behind closed doors. The trial was conducted at the 50,0000-seat capacity Shizuoka Stadium on 13 May in a J-League fixture.

Yamaha’s Remote Cheerer system enables supporters watching sport from afar to encourage their team by “sending cheers to an event venue” via a smartphone app. Supporters are able to send their words of encouragement to any of the speakers situated around the stadium, creating a diverse sound experience for players and supporters alike.

According to Yamaha’s statement on the test, the trial “was able to verify the usability of the system as a means of supporting teams in competition while removing the associated risk of infection, and demonstrated the ability to create a spectator atmosphere similar to that of a real match by using separate audio transmission zones for each club without interfering with existing venue facilities [and] announcements.”

Our club looks forward to implementing the system at future events

– Hiromi Yanagihara

Hiromi Yanagihara, a member of JUBILO’s business strategy division, said: “With the possibility of spectatorless matches and restrictions on cheering in mind, I feel that this system will encourage players on the field by making them feel like their fans and supporters are nearby. This technology is revolutionary for fans and supporters as well, as it allows them to root for their club’s players. Our club looks forward to further collaboration in order to be able to implement the system at future events.”

Yuti Seko, a senior executive in Yamaha’s SoundUD Group, said: “We are working to promote this system as a means of delivering cheering and fan support in a wide variety of situations. This includes not only spectatorless matches, but also matches with reduced spectator seating or where shouting is not possible, as well as accommodating fans who can’t attend matches due to being hospitalized, for example.”

Clubs have considered allowing supporters to attend to matches via Zoom

With sport around the world gradually returning from its COVID-19 hiatus, clubs have been forced to look into alternative means of creating a matchday feel without the presence of supporters. Last month, Borussia Monchengladbach offered supporters the opportunity to purchase cardboard cut-outs that would be displayed in the club’s stadium during matches, covering empty seats at Borussia-Park.

Premier League club West Ham United are reported to be considering allowing supporters to attend to matches at the London Stadium via Zoom. The scheme would allow fans to interact with players on matchdays through a live-feed displayed by the side of the pitch. With social distancing measures expected to be in place until the end of 2020, more clubs are likely to turn to unique methods of keeping their supporters engaged with the action while they are kept away from stadiums.

As the world of sport encounters the “new normal” for the first time, technology could offer a new route for fans to interact with players on a matchday. With spectators unlikely to return to stadiums before the end of the year, fan culture will be forced to adapt as the 2020 sporting calendar moves forwards during the COVID-19 pandemic.