Many live sporting events are now played in front of empty stadiums. Here are three ways the sports industry is being changed by the coronavirus
T he world of sports has been in flux since the upcoming seasons, but the overall industry has had to make sweeping changes that will impact how sports are enjoyed and played for years to come — not only on the professional level, but within communities, too. To learn about and understand these changes, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation recently dedicated an event in their Fast Forward series to the future of sports. We assembled a group of experts to talk about how the coronavirus has impacted sports in the short and long term. Here are three takeaways from our event. COVID-19 pandemic hit. Not only have leagues had to assess how they’ll play out their current and Sports and Coronavirus: Fans Now Have a More Interactive Experience Than Ever Before The coronavirus has been a catalyst for a new type of sports fan experience. Companies have created virtual environments for fans to watch and interact with their favorite leagues and athletes. Virtual watch parties, for example, have allowed fans to show their support while interacting with other fans, and in some cases athletes themselves.
“We want to help our fans be there, and this kind of helps really connect them to the event itself, even beyond just COVID,” Hoyman said. “When we think about these events can happen anywhere worldwide, we want to help create this environment where fans are there, but also they’re connected to the athletes in a way that they’ve never been able to.” COVID-19 Has Forced Organizations to Create Multiple Backup Plans for the Future of Sports
A demonstrator wearing a face mask holds a sign to protest against the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games near the National Stadium in Tokyo in July.
The world was shocked when the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed an entire year due to the pandemic. With the now-2021 games rapidly approaching, the Olympic committee has had to plan for how they would deal with the virus despite all of its uncertainties. While much of the existing infrastructure and planning had already been done, The Olympics and other sports leagues now have to place coronavirus regulations. Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi and his team have had to plan out not one, but multiple scenarios for how the games will proceed amidst the continued pandemic to ensure the event organizers and athletes are prepared for anything. “What we do is plan according to four different scenarios,” Dubi told CO—. “We have a baseline, we have a better scenario and we have two scenarios where the situation is worse than it is today.”
FloSports is the innovator in live event streaming, giving you access to over 200,000 sports competitions live or on demand, with exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage and original programming for over 25 different sports.
Justin Hoyman, product director, apps at FloSports, says the sports streaming service has been prioritizing ways to help fans stay connected, both to their teams and each other.
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April 2021 | The Business Review
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