Covid-19
Features
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.
Tokyo 2020 reveals ticket refund policy, Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 bid formalisation delayed
The organising committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has announced its refund policy for ticketholders who are unable to attend the two rescheduled events in 2021
Rugby Australia strikes presenting rights deal for ‘2020 Tri Nations’ with eToro
Global trading platform eToro has signed as Rugby Australia’s Presenting Partner for the ‘2020 Tri Nations' – the new name for the annual Rugby Championship following the recent withdrawal of South Afric…
WWE plans large-scale McMahon Netflix documentary, remains bullish on viewership
Film project to include Bill Simmons as executive producer
RFU braced for £145m in lost revenues as ‘mid-case’ scenario
Bill Sweeney, chief executive of England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU), has forecast that the body will lose around £145m (€161m/$188m) in revenues in the short term as a “mid-case” scenario after the orga…
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.
Bayern’s ‘lighthouse’ Super Cup spectator study gives hope to Bundesliga
The company behind a pilot study that tested 315 Bayern Munich fans for Covid-19 ahead of last month's Uefa Super Cup match believes it is possible to create rapid and safe testing programmes that will allow more spectators to attend live sports events. Ben Cronin reports.
Japanese industry cautiously optimistic about rescheduled Tokyo Olympics
Against a background of renewed optimism that the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics will go ahead, Asian sports industry experts share their hopes that the event can bring a new maturity to the Japanese sports sector. Kevin McCullagh and Tom King report.
Five sports technology insights from All That Matters Online 2020
Highlights from the sports tech stream at the All That Matters Online 2020 conference, including the wearable that saved the PGA Tour and the trend for 'phygital' events. Reporting from Kevin McCullagh and Tom King.
NFL teams rapidly re-embrace having fans in attendance
After a delicate summer where the National Football League was merely trying to stage a 2020 season at all amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a fast-growing number of teams are now embracing a return of attending fans to their stadiums.
Top Rank Boxing keeping focus and flexibility to ensure Wilder-Fury III is staged in front of fans
US boxing promoter is looking to put on third part of showpiece trilogy in front of a live audience in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. But it is not an easy process, as company president Todd DuBoef tells Bob Williams.
Pandemic hits women’s sport, but revenue mix leaves it well placed to rebound
Adam Nelson talks to stakeholders from across women's sport about the impact of the pandemic and how the sector is well-placed to rebound thanks to a healthy revenue mix
Championship clubs devastated by UK government’s ‘broad-brush’ approach
Fears of overcrowding in pubs and on public transport has moved the UK government to postpone spectator trials after Covid-19 cases rose sharply in the country, but rights holders and clubs feel sport has been unfairly singled out. Callum McCarthy reports.
US RSNs face extended programming drought with upcoming league offseasons
With the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball all approaching their offseasons at the same time due to Covid-19, US regional sports networks are facing an extended programming drought of live pro team sports during the fourth quarter of 2020.
The business of Dutch football has fans to thank for its survival
Dutch clubs like SC Heerenveen have sold large numbers of season tickets prior to the 2020-21 Eredivisie season, despite there being no guarantees spectators will be allowed to attend matches. Callum McCarthy reports.
Basketball Champions League CEO Comninos looks to Athens finale to continue momentum
Basketball Champions League CEO Patrick Comninos describes how the fledgling basketball competition has tried to maintain momentum during a troubled year and its plans to resume this year's season with a Final-Eight competition in Athens. Kevin Roberts reports.
Sepang International Circuit’s new CEO on his baptism of fire during the pandemic
SportBusiness speaks to Azhan Shafriman Hanif, Sepang International Circuit’s newly-appointed chief executive about his plans to overcome the current economic uncertainties created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
US Open revenues and TV ratings suffer sharp drop but USTA still savors successful grand slam
USTA chief executive Michael Dowse tells SportBusiness how, despite facing multiple unprecedented issues and sharp ratings declines, the organization was able to bring back elite tennis and make a small profit with the US Open. Bob Williams reports
Chris Madden | The new digital way forward for pro sports franchises
Chris Madden, co-founder of Chicago-based digital marketing agency Matchnode, explores how teams can boost their digital engagement with fans during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic
Covid-19 accelerates move into challenging new era for sports media-rights business
SportBusiness gathered a panel of experts at the All That Matters Online 2020 conference to discuss the challenges being faced in the sports media rights sector.
Monkey Knife Fight looks to advance status as industry disruptor
An upstart daily fantasy company with an unusual name and unconventional approach has quickly risen to prominence by challenging established market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel and striking a large series of team sponsorships.
Francis: OTT streaming operators have struggled to provide lockdown service
Barney Francis, the former managing director of the UK division of Sky Sports, has suggested the Covid-19 crisis has exposed the business models of some of the OTT streaming services operating in the sports sector but says there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the industry. Ben Cronin reports.
Lee Gibbons | What Olympic sponsorships can teach brands in the Covid-19 era
Self-confessed 'Olympophile' Lee Gibbons, managing director of the Sport Unlimited agency, explains why the values and strategies attached to Olympic sponsorships translate so well to today's market in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.