Covid-19: All our latest coverage on the impact to the global sports industry
TSN refuses to carry World Men’s Curling Championship game due to Covid-19 concerns
Canadian host broadcaster TSN refused to carry an April 11 World Men's Curling Championship playoff game between the United States and Switzerland due to Covid-19 concerns
PWHPA postpones St. Louis stop due to Covid-19 outbreak
The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association postponed its Dream Gap Tour stop in St. Louis, Missouri, over the weekend after one of its teams suffered a Covid-19 exposure
Indonesia’s MotoGP return moved to 2022
Indonesia's return to MotoGP hosting has been postponed due to the pandemic and is now scheduled for March 2022
Tokyo Olympics diving qualifying event rescheduled
An Olympics diving qualifier in Tokyo that looked to have been cancelled last week will now go ahead following an agreement between the international aquatics federation and Japanese authorities
Latest Video
Gaudenzi: “Linear programming wasn’t a good fit for tennis”
In the latest video interview from SportBusiness, ATP chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, speaks to Europe editor Ben Cronin about plans to resume the international tennis tour in August and his vision to centralise…
Infront’s Bruno Marty – Smaller properties can flourish if they innovate and engage
Bruno Marty, senior vice-president of the ProSports unit at Infront, discusses the impact of sport's Covid-19 induced liquidity crisis, how properties can emerge stronger, the role of private equity i…
Youth sports in US look for reinvention, industry unity
LeagueApps president Jeremy Goldberg and Gators Baseball Academy partner Joe Lopez speak to SportBusiness US Editor Eric Fisher on the state of the $19bn American youth sports industry amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The second of a two-part series.
US youth sports industry grapples with heavy Covid-19 uncertainty
LeagueApps president Jeremy Goldberg and Gators Baseball Academy partner Joe Lopez speak to SportBusiness US Editor Eric Fisher on the state of the $19bn American youth sports industry amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The first of a two-part series.
UK sports bodies back Covid certification as ‘credible option’ for full stadia
A group of the UK’s leading sports rights-holders have written an open letter to the country’s politicians in support of Covid-19 certification as a ‘credible option’ to enable full capacity stadiums from Ju…
Dublin, Bilbao under threat as Uefa weighs up Euro 2020 hosting plans
Dublin and Bilbao appear to be at risk of losing host city status for football's Uefa Euro 2020, after the deadline closed for venues to provide fan attendance guarantees for the postponed edition of the…
European Tour postpones returning Open de France
Golf’s European Tour has been forced to postpone the Open de France’s return to its calendar due to the Covid-19 situation in the country.
NBA partners with Clear to facilitate increased attendances
The National Basketball Association has announced a partnership with biometric screening company Clear, which will make its Health Pass technology available to all NBA teams for Covid-19 health screenings …
Latest Inside Track
Jared Melzer | The real power of sponsorships – driving social activism
Having led sponsorships for major B2C and B2B brands in the US, Jared Melzer shares his perspectives around sponsorships and Black Lives Matter
Mohit Lalvani | Public health a fruitful theme in search for sponsorship spend and ROI during Covid-19
Mohit Lalvani, founder and CEO of 1 Play Sports, the Singapore-based sports streaming services provider, identifies a potentially valuable avenue for sponsorship during the pandemic, that may resonate with the public and governments
Sponsorship market dynamics favour premium sports brands in the pandemic
There is an expectation that sponsorship sales at premium sports properties tend to be more resilient during economic crises. Matthew Glendinning looks at whether big really has proven best during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Caradh O’Donovan | Athletes have not had adequate preparation for the Olympics
Irish athlete Caradh O'Donovan says many athletes have not had appropriate training and qualification opportunities for this year's Olympics, and should have had a bigger say in the organisation of the postponed event
“One big, complicated event” | Cricket Australia’s CEO on its toughest season
Cricket Australia's interim CEO Nick Hockley explains how his organisation had to adapt in order to deliver a full season of cricket in 2020-21. Kevin McCullagh reports.
MLB clubs relishing chance to sell tickets once again
After going a full year without being able to sell any tickets, MLB clubs are embracing the restart of fan attendance in local markets. Eric Fisher reports.
NHL’s Lake Tahoe games poised to become league’s most spectacular outdoor event
It took the NHL just a matter of seconds before deciding that Lake Tahoe would be the ideal spot for an outdoor tentpole event. The logistical challenges, however, have been significant, explains NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer.
Nick Sakiewicz | Why the NLL chose to sit this one out
National Lacrosse League commissioner Nick Sakiewicz explains why the league is continuing to halt its play amid the Covid-19 pandemic and is instead preparing to return in the fall.
Martyn Turze | Following your team during Covid-19
Martyn Turze, consumer research account director, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, has monitored the attitudes of the agency’s personnel to the live sports lockdown in the UK and uncovered 10 key areas of changed experience
Sampson Yimer | US sports fans at tension point on return to live events
Last weekend’s NFL Super Bowl highlighted the tension point between the return of fans to live sporting events and the dangers inherent in that return. Sampson Yimer, vice-president, sponsorship consulting at Momentum Worldwide, looks at the pros and cons, backed by the agency’s proprietary study on fan sentiment.
Brian Bolten | The rise of the collaborative
Brian Bolten, a 25-year sports and entertainment marketing veteran, discusses his vision for the future of service companies within the industry.
Tampa tourism leaders confident Covid-impacted Super Bowl will be “shot in the arm”
Rob Higgins, the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee president and CEO, tells SportBusiness about the challenges and opportunities of hosting the NFL championship game amid the pandemic.
Insurance policies and corporate health focus help to mitigate Infront mass participation losses
Hans-Peter Zurbruegg, senior vice-president of Infront's personal & corporate fitness unit describes how the agency responded to a year in which the Covid-19 pandemic laid waste to the mass participation sector and expresses his confidence that a new focus on health and wellbeing will help to chart a path out of the crisis. Ben Cronin reports.
Stadiums and arenas represent key tool in US Covid-19 vaccination efforts
Following last fall's repurposing of many sports facilities as voting centers, an increasing number of venues are now being used as mass vaccination centers, though the logistics to do so remain complex.
Dan Haddad | No need for review – why VAR sponsorship is a dud
Daniel Haddad, head of commercial strategy at the Octagon agency, sees little merit in sponsorship proposals around Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, the application of which has only detracted from the fan experience
McConaughey’s star power helps Austin FC make immediate MLS splash
MLS expansion team drawing huge buzz thanks to the excitement of Austin, Texas, finally becoming a major league sports town and the global profile of minority owner and noted actor Matthew McConaughey. Bob Williams reports.
Andy Dolich | Major League Baseball and the values of sports
Former NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL senior executive Andy Dolich discusses MLB's latest stand against voter oppression and how the crossover between sports and societal values are now part of our daily lives