COVID-19: Its Impact on Global Sports

Most major sporting events worldwide have been cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications range from the social to the economic. The sports industry generates $756 billion annually in global revenue. Millions of jobs are at stake from sports professionals to the workforce in related industries such as retail, food and beverage, arena operations, media, and travel. Sports build bridges, empowering, and inspiring people as embodied by the Olympics and Paralympics, which unfortunately postponed its Tokyo summer games until 2021. What steps must be taken to ensure the safety of the athletes, fans, and broader sport ecosystem to allow for a return to play? How will strategies vary across sports at the national, regional, and international levels? Are there new technologies and channels that can help keep fans engaged? What are the potential long-term effects on the industry? What is the role of sports in our shared recovery?