@roberto.aguero
Sports are one of the biggest entertainment industries around the world. Many people find opportunities for a career through their physical ability and talent. The sports industry is also one of the major contributors to the global economy, being worth around $620 billion dollars. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the beginning of the year, sports leagues around the world were bound to be suspended which gravely affected the sports industry and the entertainment of people globally.
During March of this year, when the pandemic became a clear concern, commissioners realized that sports could not continue their regular schedule. Everything began with the NBA suspending the 2019-2020 season until further notice on March 11. The following day, leagues such as the MLB, the NHL, and La Liga also suspended their seasons. Every day the list of canceled sports seasons grew, and it did not seem like they were renewing their seasons back anytime soon. According to ESPN, leagues around the world were projected to lose around $40 billion in revenue as a result. Millions of jobs would be in jeopardy and the entertainment of sports fans around the world would be put on pause.
People around the world were coming together to think of innovative ways of bringing sports back. Some ideas thrown around consisted of private islands or pandemic-proof bubbles where players and staff would isolate themselves completely. In most of these ideas, it was almost inevitable for the virus to find its way through and ruin the sports season again. In May 2020, the NBA develops the idea of a “bubble” which would take place at Disney World. In June, the UEFA developed a plan to bring the Champions League back to Lisbon for the general safety. Minor sports leagues saw this advancement and began taking initiatives to bring most of the sports around the world back.
Taking major precautions, most sports leagues came back before people could even realize it. The primary focus was the safety of the players and staff. Masks became obligatory to wear and certain distances between athletes were required. Most sports with large teams were suggested to diminish their traveling to reduce the risk of catching the virus. Despite sports being back for the good of the industry, another main concern were the fans at these sporting events.
The challenge for these companies is that you cannot have fans in attendance while keeping everyone safe. Some leagues such as the NBA came up with the bright idea of having virtual fans. In Europe and Asia, leagues started implementing an augmented stadium sound to provide a sense of normalcy for both the players and the viewers. Slowly, the world of sports is going back to its regular state, but it is a safe bet that for the next couple of months most sports take place under COVID-19 precautions. While most leagues will not come back to full effectiveness for a while, the procedure of getting fans back into arenas and players back to their normal state is underway.
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