ESPN - 72% of sports fans won't attend events without a COVID-19 vaccine

[underpants]

Okay it's not a large or great (MOE) poll but...

Some 72% of Americans polled said they would not attend if sporting events resumed without a vaccine for the coronavirus. The poll, which had a fairly small sample size of 762 respondents, was released Thursday by Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business.

When polling respondents who identified as sports fans, 61% said they would not go to a game without a vaccine. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.6%.

A compromise could be found in having games with no fans, an idea that garnered sufficient support. More than three-fourths -- 76% -- said they would watch broadcasts of games without fans and do so with the same amount of interest they had before the pandemic. Only 16% said they would be less interested, but 7% said they would be more interested.

Though there has been discussion of games without spectators, nearly half of respondents -- 46% -- said they think sports will be canceled through the end of 2020.

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/29018209/poll-fans-attend-games-vaccine

[Stallion]

1. Luckily at My School-We've Been Social Distancing for Years

should be able to retain proper social distancing in largely empty stands

[Renew Deal]

2. Part of the problem is that the players, coaches, etc are not safe

That's what makes it hard to do this.

[tulipsandroses]

3. I don't think we will see people rush to go back to sporting events, concerts

movie theaters, restaurants, etc. That's the thing that the orange fool and his minions and Fox do not get. So even if the country " opens up" first week of May, I guarantee a lot of people will not be out at the malls and other places.
I know I won't.

[Initech]

5. I love going to concerts and live events.

But as long as the virus is around, there's no way in hell I would go see even my favorite bands at the moment. We need a vaccine and we need it as soon as possible.

And also no way in fucking hell will I watch a game with no fans in the stands. I've already done that and it was weird as hell. I'd rather just assume sports be canceled until a vaccine is found.

[ooky]

4. Not only do I expect sports will be shut down for 2020, it expect it to continue

into 2021 for winter and spring sports while waiting on that vaccine.

What is really going to be interesting is watching college sports try to survive.

[Initech]

6. I also wonder whether / if ESPN will survive.

Because ESPN has essentially turned into the "coronavirus has upended sports" network. And you can only air so many reruns.

[ooky]

11. Yeah, the coronavirus has upended ESPN. And, ESPN has become so immersed

in college sports that it is effectively a functional kingpin to the operation of these conferences and member schools as to their athletic programs' financial viability. If ESPN doesn't survive, we could witness the whole house of cards come tumbling down, followed by a "rebirth" of college sports.

I found this interesting article talking about the impact of the coronavirus on ESPN and parent Disney.

"ESPN’s lack of live games is projected to lead to a ratings decline of as much as 80% and compound the problems for Disney, which has been reeling on multiple fronts due to the pandemic."

"The shutdown of all organized sporting events is obviously a bad thing for the ESPN family of networks, the SEC network, and newly launched ACC network, as well as ABC broadcast..."

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-03-18/coronavirus-pandemic-forces-espn-to-reinvent-itself-for-a-sports-free-world

[Initech]

12. It's so weird to see sports networks running games from 2 - 3 years ago or more.

When you have nothing new, I guess this is your go to.

[ooky]

14. 80% drop in ratings pretty much says it all.

Personally I like sports, love ACC basketball in particular, football too, but have zero interest in watching reruns of any of it. Nor have I ever had any interest in watching sports "barkers" talk. So I haven't been back on the ACC Network or ESPN since all this started.

I do miss the live games though.

[Initech]

15. I really missed March Madness this year.

That's usually one of my favorite events of the year. I also miss baseball - I was really looking forward to seeing the Astors get booed in large numbers at Angel Stadium. And hockey - this is supposed to be when the teams start making the playoffs. But alas, none of that is happening this year because of this god forsaken virus.

[Ex Lurker]

20. The only bright side is parent company Disney

Has the deepest of pockets.

[Ex Lurker]

16. It all comes tumbling down

The TV revenue from football and men's basketball pays for all the other men's and women's sports. Most, possibly no, college athletic departments will be able to survive a year with no revenue. If football doesn't restart in the fall (and there have been some contingency plans floated on how to do it safely) that may be the end of college sports as we know it.

[ooky]

17. Yep, and football drives the ship.

No football revenues is going to send everybody scrambling. And, it appears to be coming right at us.

[Demovictory9]

7. so many of our institutions and cultural habits will be changed by this pandemic

[uponit7771]

8. +1,

[Luz]

9. Without packed stadiums, where will those million dollar

salaries come from? And what to do with all of those empty stadiums?
Interesting times for sure.

[underpants]

10. Most major sports are fueled by TV money

The prime reason cable rates go up are because of the cable companies inching up fees but also sports channels.

Fans are great for the localities (sales tax and jobs) but for the organizations they can be as much of a hassle as a revenue generator. Not that they lose money on people attending but that's not their lifeblood. The big problem is that a crowd attracts a crowd - no crowd tells the viewer no one else gives a rip so why should they? The NFL has been battling their "couch problem" for more than 10 years. At the first Super Bowl they went through the stands getting people to move more towards the middle so it looked like more people were there.

[gratuitous]

13. That's good news

72% of Americans have a much better handle on this than that fat fuck in the White House. MSN had a poll question today about whether stay-at-home orders should be left up to each state or imposed nationwide. I know the poll is totally unscientific, but I was gratified to vote and see that at that time 64% of respondents chose a nationwide order.

I really wish the major media would give less time and oxygen to the dumbshits stumping for less restrictions and more time to knowledgeable folks (you know, doctors, nurses, epidemiologists) about the necessity for self-isolation.

[Bengus81]

18. Yup was telling my neighbor that our beloved Chiefs will not be playing this year......

Which really sucks coming off a Super Bowl win. But barring a miracle it won't happen. They could have games without fans but I doubt they would.

[underpants]

19. That would totally change the Chiefs home games

Volume is a big factor.