I find simulated and remote fans to be mildly distasteful for reaaons that I find hard to articulate. I suppose it has to do with notions of authenticity. One of the reasons I enjoyed the NBA summer league is that you can hear the players and ambient noises of the gym so much better and it created an interested experience that is different than a normal crowded stadium. Why not just have a distinct moment in sports where things are genuinely different due to outside circumstances rather than pretend like things are the same?
I watched one of the first Spanish football games of the new season last week on TV, the audience was digital. It was very surreal, and felt like a combination of a video game and reality. Even the singing and cheering was added. I wonder, if they did that at the stadium too to help the players along. Very strange experience.
be on your pajamas on live TV!
see the crowd celebrate that point with a 15 seconds delay!