What is Going to Happen With Sports?

[harllee]

I am a big sports fan, especially college sports. I live in Chapel Hill NC home of the University of North Carolina and normally attend in person many sporting events each week--I have season tickets to most sports on campus. I am age 69 and DH has some underlying health conditions so I doubt if we will be attending any sporting events for a while in person (maybe until there is a vaccine or a good anti- viral).

I am missing sports in person and on TV. But I would not want for sports to start up at risk to spectators, players and officials.

I see that some televised sporting events are starting up without spectators--Nascar, golf and horse racing that I know of.

What do folks think will happen with sports in the next few months?

 

[Midpack]

Most pro and college sports will start up without spectators, so they can resume broadcasting and restore media rights income - about a quarter or more of income pre SARS-CoV-2. Media rights has been the fastest growing source of income, it’s as much as half the income for some sports.

Merchandising and sponsorships have remained somewhat, about half total income, broadcasting will further restrengthen merch and sponsorships income too.

Gate receipts/ticket sales is the biggest remaining chunk - in person sports will take months if not longer. Season ticket holders won’t drop out near term as they want to keep their foot in the door when attendance is permitted again. Many of them have seats/packages that have taken years to acquire, they don’t want to start that process over. Season tickets holders have more premium seats too.

So what remains is mostly less premium seats to non season ticket holders & concessions - a pretty small slice of the overall team/school income stream. My guess.

 

[Klubbie]

I don't know what will happen with sports, but I expect there to be a bigger push than expected to reopen arenas. It was reported last week that the NBA makes 40% of its revenue from the stadium experience. MLB players are already complaining at the prospect of having to take less money this year because of a shortened season and lower stadium revenues.

Rich people with influence in those industries won't want to lose money for long, and players are not exactly known for saving their money. I expect we will see some plans for fans in stadiums much sooner than we think because of the massive financial impact.

 

[IMATERP]

Personally, I think that both the University of Maryland and Rutgers football teams could actually begin the football season as usual. The crowds are extremely small - and the folks that attend would have no trouble social distancing. The rest of the Big Ten teams would be shut out of this opportunity.

 

[Klubbie]

Personally, I think that both the University of Maryland and Rutgers football teams could actually begin the football season as usual. The crowds are extremely small - and the folks that attend would have no trouble social distancing. The rest of the Big Ten teams would be shut out of this opportunity. [emoji1782]

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[Red Badger]

Nascar is the canary in the coal shaft today. I think it will prime the pump ASAP for non-contact sports (golf, tennis, track & field, others), with contact sports coming behind that with minimal delay.

Crowds won't be a factor for a while.

 

[cathy63]

Here's what might happen in baseball: https://apnews.com/fa448199aebdc7993e0d742f4dc13a88

Major League Baseball will look somewhat like high school ball this year under protocols to deal with the new coronavirus, with showers at ballparks discouraged and players possibly arriving in uniform, like they did when they were teenagers.

Team personnel will be banned from eating at restaurants on road trips.

Even the Phillie Phantic and Mr. Met will be missing, banned from the field along with all other team mascots.

The traditional exchange of lineup cards would be eliminated, along with high-fives, fist bumps, and bat boys and girls, according to a 67-page draft of Major League Baseball’s proposed 2020 Operations Manual.

 

[GravitySucks]

On the plus side, SU won the last ACC Men's Basketball Tournament game so I guess we win this year. Might want to put an asterisk next to it though.

 

[rjk514]

Any group sport, baseball/football etc. (when/if) they start up will only last until 1 teammate tests positive, (they will have to test frequently) and one will...it will come to
a abrupt stop..all teammates would need to quarantine ...thus no sports....

 

[Midpack]

Any group sport, baseball/football etc. (when/if) they start up will only last until 1 teammate tests positive, (they will have to test frequently) and one will...it will come to
a abrupt stop..all teammates would need to quarantine ...thus no sports....

The OP was referring to professional and college sports. Pros will have testing to prevent spread, revised protocols for locker room etc., and no audience until it’s safe. You seem to be talking about amateur sports.

 

[harllee]

On the plus side, SU won the last ACC Men's Basketball Tournament game so I guess we win this year. Might want to put an asterisk next to it though.

Yes and they beat my UNC Tar Heels! We need a rematch!

 

[mystang52]

Ignore, for a second, the spectator issue. How does a team train? There would be considerable close contact just from training. Team meetings? And then, of course, the actual game. I wouldn't want to be a football center or any inside lineman, being so close to others' exhalations on every play.
I think we need a severe downward spike in the curve.

 

[jollystomper]

A lot of what happens with sports will be about the money.

Most colleges need football as it funds many other sports and university activities. But if the campus is closed to students it will be tough to have games.

For pro sports, many players might be willing to take the risk, if not taking the risk means no income. A surprising number of them live paycheck-to-paycheck and a season cancelled for a year will cause them great financial difficulty. Even without fans the owners will want at leave the TV broadcast income, it will be better than nothing.

If a team member test positive during the season, that will be trickier... the schedule and roster moves will have to take those things into account.

 

[harllee]

Ignore, for a second, the spectator issue. How does a team train? There would be considerable close contact just from training. Team meetings? And then, of course, the actual game. I wouldn't want to be a football center or any inside lineman, being so close to others' exhalations on every play.
I think we need a severe downward spike in the curve.

I think the plan is to test all the players on all the teams each day

 

[RunningBum]

I remember a kind of parody story on basketball in the future in some magazine I read as a kid, probably around 1970. I don't recall the year it was set in but they said that since people weren't attending NBA games anymore, they had moved away from big arenas into a studio just bigger than court sized, which optimized it for TV.

Not saying this will happen forever but it is kind of what they are looking at doing now.

 

[MBAustin]

I watched a Bundesliga (German soccer league) match yesterday and although one team looked pretty rusty, it was a better game than I expected.

I suspect there will be lots of no spectator (TV only) sports while the scientists are still learning more about transmission, risk factors, etc., and mask production catches up with demand so that the general public can get medical quality masks without impacting healthcare workers.

 

[Midpack]

I remember a kind of parody story on basketball in the future in some magazine I read as a kid, probably around 1970. I don't recall the year it was set in but they said that since people weren't attending NBA games anymore, they had moved away from big arenas into a studio just bigger than court sized, which optimized it for TV.

Not saying this will happen forever but it is kind of what they are looking at doing now.

That would be interesting for all the arena owners and their bondholders where applicable...

 

[Sojourner]

The OP was referring to professional and college sports. Pros will have testing to prevent spread, revised protocols for locker room etc., and no audience until it’s safe. You seem to be talking about amateur sports.

I would expect any and all teams—pro, college, maybe even high school—to do frequent testing of players for close-contact sports like basketball, football, soccer, wrestling, etc. Golf, tennis, bowling... maybe not so much.

And I agree with the previous comment that any given sport will shut down pretty quickly once the first player tests positive. So my guess is that most sports (other than maybe golf, tennis, and a few other low-contact, non-team sports) will be basically MIA for quite some time.

 

[Chuckanut]

Everyone involved in the business of Big League sports should be digging deep into their pockets to donate money for research on treatments and a vaccine for this virus. I think that is called 'enlightened self interest'.

 

[Ronstar]

The White Sox could have 6’ spacing between fans for 82 games and still have more yearly attendance than last year

 

[rjk514]

I think this is were the saying (One and Done) 1 positive ...

 

[GravitySucks]

That's another thing that dumbfounds me about this virus.

Over 30,000 people went to see UNC play in Syracuse on 2/29 and our county death rate per million is less than half of the national death per Million. 30,000 people crowded indoors you would think our rate would have jumped.

Yes and they beat my UNC Tar Heels! We need a rematch!

 

[candrew]

Both of our grandsons resumed training yesterday with their soccer club. I have yet to learn the particulars.

 

[harllee]

Both of our grandsons resumed training yesterday with their soccer club. I have yet to learn the particulars.

Are they professionals? What age?

 

[Midpack]

I would expect any and all teams—pro, college, maybe even high school—to do frequent testing of players for close-contact sports like basketball, football, soccer, wrestling, etc. Golf, tennis, bowling... maybe not so much.

And I agree with the previous comment that any given sport will shut down pretty quickly once the first player tests positive. So my guess is that most sports (other than maybe golf, tennis, and a few other low-contact, non-team sports) will be basically MIA for quite some time.

I may be wrong, but I’m assuming they’ll be able to test pros, many college athletes and essential people like coaches daily including all practices, games, meetings - so there won’t be a need to shut down. Any player who comes up positive will be turned away. Wealthy people already have whatever testing they want. With all the money on the line with pro and college sports, they’re not going to risk a second shutdown.

Amateur sports will be a different story for a while. But that’s not what I thought this thread was about.

We have to differentiate between pros/college and all other sports.