Many sectors of the economy have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but sports, in particular are getting hit hard. In almost every city in the world, large gatherings have been cancelled or very limited for the past 14 months. Youth sports that once provided purpose, school-pride and a feeling of belonging for young athletes were put on hold. The sporting world continued to march on as best it could with bubbles, stringent protocols and shortened seasons–but the losses have been staggering. But what about the fans themselves? And the overall health of the larger sports economy? Sports just aren’t the same for the players, fans or season ticket holders when there isn’t a live audience cheering their team on.
