By: Hannah Bhullar

With the state of lockdown, sporting events have been affected as gyms, dance studios, pools, and other large facilities have been closed. But this is not the only affect COVID-19 has had on the sports industry, many individuals who were employed at these facilities working the concession stands and etcetera are now out of employment. The novel Coronavirus has had a significant impact on the sports industry due to many stadium closures, job losses within the sports industry, no fans allowed to spectate, cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics, and the all of the drafts being changed.

Closure of Gyms/Recreation Centres Due to COVID

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide there have been many restrictions implemented in order to maintain the safety of the people as well as an attempt to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. With these restrictions being put into place within schools, businesses, and social life in general it has interfered with many aspects of regular day-to-day life with the inclusion of sports and physical activity.  Public recreation centre’s such as pools, gyms, and dance studios were forced to shut down due to how highly contagious the coronavirus has become. Throughout the course of the virus, in Canada gyms and recreation centres were completely shut down in the beginning of lockdown, then when lockdown was lifted gyms and other recreation studios were able to open with COVID-19 restrictions issued by the government. Many gyms and other recreation centres were by appointment only to avoid overcrowding, as well as it was made mandatory that you must wear a face mask and you are to disinfect all of the equipment after each use. Even though many individuals were upset with the closures of gyms as they are a way of physical activity that comes with a lot of physical and mental health benefits, it was important for the government to take a step as gyms are a high-risk environment during this pandemic. Health Canada states that “going out to gyms are just as high risk as going to bars, nightclubs, and restaurants” (Hensley,2020). This is due to the fact of how quickly the virus is spread, gyms are found to be a prime environment for transmission of the virus. Health Canada states this is due to how crowded gyms are able to get so quickly as well as the possibility of poor ventilation within the gyms (Hensley, 2020). On this matter, Professor Nazeem Muajarine spoke out and stated that returning to gyms while following the social distancing regulations is a personal risk due to the heavy breathing that comes along with doing exercise.

Empty World Cup Stadium 

The sports industry is a large contributor to the economy as well as social development around the world. It has been noticed by many governments around the world reflecting on its impact sports has made in the lives of many individuals as it has contributed to the well being of young people, individuals, and societies around the world. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all countries around the world have entered a state of lock down where businesses, schools and overall regular life has been forced to change. With this being said, many major sporting events around the world have been forcefully cancelled due to the pandemic and its quick spread which causes an immense loss of money throughout the sports industry. The sports industry is estimated to be valued at approximately $756 billion US dollars annually (United Nations, 2020) Therefore, with the national pandemic occurring this has caused the loss of jobs for many individuals around the world working in the sports industry such as athletes, coaches, trainers, and those working around maintaining the arena along with concession stands. With the loss of jobs occurring, those who are professional athletes are under a large amount of pressure while they are at home in order to continue being fit due to the cancellation of training and could now be at risk of losing their jobs. The effect of COVID-19 has caused many economic repercussions within the sports community along with social repercussions as sporting events play a large role within communities around the world. 

Virtual Fans During NBA Game

With the COVID-19 pandemic in effect, the sports industry was forced to cancel many games as the spread of the virus was moving quickly. Many people are avid lovers and followers of big-league sports such as the NBA, NFL, and NHL for example and with the occurrence of the pandemic, many people were not quite happy with the seasons being cancelled or even pushed back. The United Nations found that sports games have a huge social impact on the fan as it is a basis for social cohesion and contributes the social and emotional excited of individuals (United Nations, 2020). This is because, for many decades sports has always been a way for individuals to build bridges with others in their communities as it is a form of social group (United Nations, 2020). Not only does sports game benefit the fans, it also plays a large role of encouragement for the athletes during the game, many NBA players have spoken and stated that the presence of their fans during the games encourages them to work harder and play better. Therefore, with the pandemic still occurring, fans were not allowed to be physically present at games. But the sports industry found a way to have them present Virtually. Fans were able to apply to become a virtual fan as the NBA season commenced once again through Microsoft Teams. The NBA stated that fans who have a computer and are able of running Microsoft Teams were eligible to become a Virtual Fan as the rules are followed: No more than one person in a virtual seat, no inappropriate signs or language, no offensive behaviour, and no distribution of game data or any other content from the NBA. Although with the pandemic and the restrictions that came along with it, this was one of the many ways that the sports industry used in order to ensure the positivity of the public and the athletes throughout this difficult time. 

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Postponed

 For the first time in history, the Tokyo 2020 olympics were postpound until summmer of 2021 due to the severe outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. This is a major deal in the sports industry as nothing gets bigger than the Olympics. With the games being pushed back into 2021, fans in the sports industry were not happy with this occuring due to the pandemic. But, not only were fans unhappy, this was a huge financial issue as well as it was estimated that the Japenese Government's loss of funds due to the games postpoundment was estimate at $1.9 billion dollars (Gillen, 2020). This loss of money did not only effect the Japenese government but effected the officials of the games as well as the athletes who were schedueled to compete within the games. These athletes who were expected to attend the games have been training for years and as a result of the pandemic are now not able to compete

Increase in E-Sports due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have caused a major increase in societies engagement in e-sports. With the global pandemic, mainstream gaming allows for entertainment right from the comfort of your own home which is perfect during this time with all of the social distancing restrictions that have been put into place all around the world. In 2020 the global gaming industry is approximately set to be worth at 153 billion dollars, this is four times the amount of revenue the box office makes and is nearly three times the revenue that the music industry makes (Hall, 2020). Although the coronavirus has caused a large amount of economic distress throughout the globe, the E-gaming industries revenue has sky rocketed. Even though the use of E-sports has increased immensely during COVID-19, it has also come with its complications for the E-sports industry. Due to the virus, it has now become harder for publishers to come out with new software and software developments as the virus has caused distress to the jobs of many individuals and even loss of their jobs. With this being said, E-sports gaming is not only common due to the coronavirus but now is enhanced as ass it provides entertainment and social interaction while social distancing within your oown house hold. When comparing E-sports to the the real-life sports industry, many sports leagues were affected by the virus as many events have been postponed, cancelled, and some with only virtual fans present resulting in the loss of millions or even billions of dollar. The E-sports community has fit the COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines criteria perfectly which benefitted them during this national pandemic. 

 

Sports & the Entertainment Industry During COVID-19

Based on the research conducted on the Sports Industry duing COVID-19, it is needless to say that the Sports industry has adapted greatly to the circumstances and restrictions that the virus has caused during this pandemic. Although the pandemic has caused for NBA, NFL, NHL season game cancellations as well as the Tokyo 2020 olympics being postponed for the first time in history, the industry has managed to compensate and make a comeback while following the COVID-19 restrictions. With this being said, since the sports industry was forced to cancel and prospone games in order to follow COVID-19 restrictions the E-sports industry has made a significant incease in sales as by the end of 2020 it is estimated to be valued at 153 billion dollars (Hall, 2020). In conclusion, the Sports industry has done an excellent job in adapting to the rsstrictions that the Coronavirus has brought and managed to still keep the industry afloat while keeping the fans, athletes, and other members of society pleased during this tough time the world is going through. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Gillen, N., & Follow @Nancy_Gillen on Twitter. (2020, November 29). Tokyo 2020 estimate puts cost of Games postponement at $1.9 billion. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1101369/tokyo-2020-estime-games-...

Hall, S. (2020, May 15). COVID-19 is taking gaming and esports to the next level. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/covid-19-taking-gaming-and-esports-next-level/

Hensley, L. (2020, November 12). Why are gyms considered high-risk COVID environments? Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.healthing.ca/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus/why-are-gym...

Katawazi, M. (2020, October 14). Ontario may tighten guidelines for gyms after major outbreak. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-may-tighten-guidelines-for-gyms-after-major-outbreak-1.5144797

The impact of COVID-19 on sport, physical activity and well-being and its effects on social development | DISD. (2020, May 15). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/2020/05/covid-19-sport/