Red Bulls score with scoreboard closedcaptioning initiative
By David Mosca | The Jersey JournalThe New York Red Bulls made a major move this season that was applauded by many. It had nothing to do with adding a star player or a new coach.
The Major League Soccer team is now using closed-captioning on the scoreboard of Red Bulls Arena in Harrison, a move that enhances the stadium experience for the deaf or hard of hearing who can't hear the public address announcer. The Red Bulls are the third team in the MLS to use closed captioning.
The closed-captioning plan was two years in the making. In 2016 a fan reached out to Red Bull Arena COO Shaun Oliver on behalf of the deaf community.
"The Red Bulls looked at stadium guides for all clubs across Major League Soccer," said Sammy Steinlight, a public relations consultant for the Red Bulls. "Colorado, Columbus, Houston, both LA teams and Kansas City all have handheld captioning or assisted-listening devices available, but Seattle and New York City are the only teams who display captioning on their in-stadium boards."
The new equipment takes the arena audio feed, sends it to a remote captioner who follows along in real-time, and the outputs the text on the stadiums LED ribbon board and fans' mobile devices.
"We're always trying to be inclusive and accessible to all our fans and give them the best experience when they attend a game," said Joe Stetson, chief marketing officer for the Red Bulls.
The closed-captioning officially began at Red Bulls Arena during the third game of the season, which started in March.
"Everyone has been very receptive," said Stetson. "It really helps people in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to follow the game along and we haven't had any issues with utilizing it. It was something that we wanted to dedicate ourselves to for the fans."
Last year the Red Bulls created a sensory room for fans who have been
Last year the Red Bulls created a sensory room for fans who have been impacted by any kind of auditory processing or other sensory disorders. This allows fans to watch the games live in the arena while being away from the any issues they might have with outdoor noise.
"When the Red Bull Arena placed CC, I do not have to guess or miss what's going on with the soccer matches or anything else anymore," said Gary Noll, of Wood-Ridge.
Noll, who is deaf and a huge sports fan, grew up in a deaf family and could not hear what the public announcer said during sporting events, so he advocated closed captioning at stadiums and arenas like the Prudential Center, Madison Square Garden and Red Bull Arena, to name a few.
"Deaf fans and myself can enjoy it equally and get the full experience like anyone else at the Red Bulls arena," said Noll. "(Red Bulls Arena) has great CC accessibility and it's always a great venue.
"Whether it's MLS all-star events, the New Jersey Devils in the NHL Winter Classic outdoor games, or even womens pro, college and future World Cup soccer events, it's a great place to be."
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