Covid-19
Features
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.
James Fenn | NFL and Fifa show creative bravery in times of crisis
James Fenn, Strategist at Hill + Knowlton Strategies, explains what the NFL, Fifa and Marvel can show us about the ambition sport needs to come back better than ever.
NHL helmet sponsors offer stop-gap solution – and insights about the future
Keith Wachtel, NHL's chief business officer, speaks to SportBusiness about the wider strategy behind the league's new division and helmet sponsorships for the 2020-21 season.
Jason Mezrahi | Keeping a fantasy sports business going during a pandemic
Jason Mezrahi, founder of daily fantasy sports and betting information company Win Daily Inc., explains how his company responded the Covid-19 pandemic by increasing payroll and marketing budgets and freezing membership payments
Matt Vandrau | A year of self-reflection for the industry
Matt Vandrau, group chief executive, CSM Sport & Entertainment, says one of the biggest changes brought about by this year’s pandemic was the reappraisal of rights values by clients
Portuguese football facing losses of €266m, warns of ‘collapse’ if league is suspended
Sónia Carneiro, executive director of Liga Portugal, has warned that the teams in the top two divisions of Portuguese league football are facing collective losses of over €250m ($304m) for the 2020-21 se…
NFL caps Super Bowl LV attendance at 22,000 fans
Super Bowl LV at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on February 7 will officially have a capacity of 22,000 fans including 14,500 ticket buyers and 7,500 vaccinated health care workers who will be guests of…
Blue Jays could start 2021 MLB season in Tampa area
Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays could be forced to start their 2021 campaign in the Tampa area due to ongoing travel restrictions between the United States and Canada in the wake of the Covid-19…
New F1 chief Domenicali: We’ll weigh up ‘rotation’ policy for calendar
Formula 1 could employ a “rotation” policy when it comes to drawing up future calendars, according to the motor-racing championship’s newly-installed chief executive and president Stefano Domenicali.
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Rebates, renegotiations and non-live content | The year in sports media
Soccer remained the world's most valuable sport
Baseball saw 39
Sports sponsorship industry proves its mettle in the year of the pandemic
Rights-holders and sponsors showed differing levels of flexibility this year as the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to review contractual obligations and rights commitments. SportBusiness Sponsorship editor Matthew Glendinning looks at the way the industry responded to the crisis
2020 | The best comebacks and success stories from a challenging year
SportBusiness regional editors Eric Fisher, Kevin McCullagh and Ben Cronin look back at those rights-holders and properties that adapted best to a year of disruption for the sports industry
Gareth Balch | Why 2021 consumer behaviour presents an opportunity for sport
Two Circles CEO Gareth Balch explains why 2021 will present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the world’s engagement with sport – making it more important than ever to be a sports marketer
EFL’s iFollow experiment unlikely to inform future media strategy, says commercial chief
Ben Wright, chief commercial officer for the English Football League, explains what the league has learnt from streaming more games on its iFollow service and how the league has targeted the fast-food sector to shore up revenues during this year's lockdown
R&A keeps faith in sponsors and strategy in turbulent year
The R&A’s maintenance of event cancellation insurance “slightly eased” the burden of lost income from the cancellation of this year’s Open and Senior Open
Asset
Nostalgia, internet, and investment | How Covid-19 fueled a sports trading card boom
Jason Howarth, Panini America's vice-president of marketing, tells SportBusiness how the industry has looked to capitalize on the rising popularity and value of trading cards
Eric Fisher | Disney stands at center of sports industry turbulence
SportBusiness US Editor Eric Fisher explores how the American media and entertainment giant is at the fulcrum of large-scale change across the sports industry
Pandemic pushes sport to double down on data-driven business
SportBusiness speaks with Asia-Pacific industry insiders about the increased urgency of sport adopting data-driven business practices in the Covid and post-Covid worlds. Tom King reports.
Lockdown dampens Brentford FC’s new stadium celebrations
Brentford FC’s plans to open a brand new 17,250-capacity stadium this autumn have been thwarted by the Covid pandemic. Chief executive Jon Varney describes how the club is coping with the lockdown and its plans to compete on a more even commercial footing in the English Championship.
FIU’s Garcia, mid-major level of college sports look to weather storm of Covid-19
Operating without large-scale revenue guarantees and dedicated media networks enjoyed by many of the Power Five conferences, mid-major conferences and their member schools are facing their own particular challenges amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Pete Garcia, athletic director of Conference USA's Florida International University, discusses the current situation with US Editor Eric Fisher.
Football finance | How the EFL can build a bridge to post-Covid sustainability and profitability
Legal practice Charles Russell Speechlys has outlined a plan to help English Football League clubs survive, restructure and rebuild in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kevin Roberts reports.
AEG’s O2 Arena targets April comeback for London live events
Paul Samuels, executive vice-president of global partnerships for live sport and entertainment company AEG, says the company is targeting a full schedule of events at London's O2 Arena from April next year. Ben Cronin reports.
Euroleague strives to regain momentum after losing a season to Covid
Barring another Covid-related disaster, EuroLeague's overall revenue will bounce back to about €70m in 2020-21.
Venue rivalry emerges as New York looks beyond Covid-19
Bradley Rial takes a look towards the future of event hosting in New York, one of the hardest-hit areas in the US during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scott Rosner and Joe Favorito | The hard-won wisdom we have earned
Columbia University's Scott Rosner and Joe Favorito use the wildly popular theatre musical "Hamilton" as inspiration to describe their unique experiences during the 2020 fall semester.
US sports venues to play critical role in upcoming election
More than six dozen pro and college venues are to be used as voting sites in the forthcoming US election. Eric Fisher examines how athletes, player unions and teams are taking a proactive role in next month's vote.
Japan’s modernising domestic leagues brace for pandemic setback
The Covid-19 pandemic has stalled a modernisation of Japanese sport with a lot of domestic teams falling back on private backers and corporations to see them through the crisis. Kevin McCullagh and Tom King report.
Broadcast deals help NFL maintain UK presence despite London games cancellation
Despite the cancellation of the NFL International Series this year, the league has managed to boost its presence in the UK with the renewal of its deals with Sky Sports and the BBC and new partnerships with Channel 5 and MTV. Adam Nelson speaks to NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood.