When COVID took the world by storm, industries closed down, including sports. Sports is more than the big games; it includes gyms, youth, football, social clubs, and more. Sports are important for health, both physical and emotional. They also have an economic impact. Continue reading to learn how COVID has impacted the sports industry.
Attendance at Sporting Events Is Limited
Most events are taking place without fans. People are being cautious about gathering in potential super-spreader events for periods of time. Different leagues and countries have different policies, but in general, the attendance isn’t what it was before. This has had an economic impact on sports in terms of how much money they take in. While COVID is still around, this will continue to be a factor in how sports are played and how the industry works.
They Have Been Able to Study the Impact of the Crowd
With sporting events largely unattended, there has been an opportunity to study the impact of the crowd on match outcomes. For instance, referees decide penalties and injury time, as well as stoppages of play. Several researchers studied the impact, and they found that having a crowd did impact the referee’s decisions. If the crowd made a lot of noise, they found that the refs were more likely to call fouls against the away team. However, they found that it was a small number of cases where this happened.
Sporting Events Can Be Super Spreaders
Another thing that has been found is that sporting events can be super spreaders during COVID. There are many events that do not have fans in attendance, and events are still disrupted regularly. Fans do watch from their homes, and they continue to love the game. However, the way that sports are structured has to change. Venues that are dependent on attendance for revenue have lost their income, and they need to get through it. Sports will return with fans one day, and everyone needs to work together to get through it.