Stadiums consider spaced seating, face masks, social distancing signage to help fans return

TAMPA, Fla. - While fans anxiously await the comeback of professional sports, one Tampa-based company is preparing to make it happen.

OAI Visual Branding works with every professional sports team in the Bay Area on everything from product to fan experience.

Owner Michael Garcia has been talking with teams about how to keep fans safe while maintaining an atmosphere of fun and excitement.

"They are all concerned because, of course, they don't know which way it's going to go, so they are looking at different options," Garcia says.

He says facemasks are an item fans can certainly expect. 

"Some of them have asked for quotes up to a million, so I'm anticipating they'd be giving those away," Garcia says.

With stadiums probably not operating at capacity, he says teams will use seat covers, but not as a distancing measure.

"I think it’s more of an aesthetic thing at this point. That gets pretty expensive if you are just going to cover two seats and then a person and then two seats again," he explained.

Garcia anticipates selling plenty of social distancing signage.

"Things for the restrooms, to mark areas where they can stand, to keep people apart as best as possible, under the circumstances," he says.

Teams have asked about barriers and face shields for concession workers.

"For somebody who is in constant contact with a lot of different people, I think shields are a very good idea," Garcia says.

While there is still a lot of uncertainty as organizations figure out the safest way for fans to return, he feels one thing is for sure: "I think it will be a completely different experience."