Fox will use fake crowd noise and visuals for NFL games - Joe Buck

Fox Sports NFL play-by-play announcer Joe Buck on Wednesday said it's "pretty much a done deal" that the network will employ fake crowd noise during broadcasts of NFL games, if there are games at all.

Buck made the comment during an interview on SiriusXM Radio's "Andy Cohen Live," adding that virtual fans also likely will be used to pepper the stands in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and its potential impact on games being played without humans.

"I think whoever is going to be at that control is going to have to be really good at their job and be realistic with how a crowd would react depending on what just happened on the field.

So (the sound is) really important," Buck said.

"And then on top of that ... they're looking at ways to put virtual fans in the stands, so when you see a wide shot it looks like the stadium is jam-packed and in fact it'll be empty."

The pandemic, which has postponed or canceled every major sports league in the country, might end up impacting the NFL season in some way, though no formal decision has been made.

It's unlikely, however, that fans numbering in the tens of thousands will be allowed in NFL stadiums to watch the games live.