Are referees and broadcasters converging in a strange, new way?

Referees now announce VAR decisions to stadium crowds and the television audience 
“Back in the day, there was a common saying about football referees: a good ref is never noticed. Referees generally disliked this interpretation. Their understandable counter-argument was that, if they officiated on a match that featured a two-footed, studs-up tackle, and a couple of clear fouls inside the penalty area, they would be noticed simply by doing their job correctly. These days, you barely hear the phrase. Nobody pretends the referee can fade into the background, and it’s not solely because of the increased scrutiny of their decisions. It’s because refs are no longer there to simply referee. Instead, they’re increasingly a fundamental part of broadcasting the game, too. …”
NY Times/The Athletic – Michael Cox (Video)