Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Sports sector Impact - 04 August 2021

Globaldata's report on the impact of COVID-19 in the sports sector includes detailed coverage of the sports sector analysis, COVID-19 impact, and sector insights among others.

COVID-19 has now spread to over 198 countries with a total of more than 194 million confirmed cases and over 4 million deaths. The number of confirmed cases in the US is over 34 million, with cases again rising after a sustained period of decline. As in many other countries, most new cases are of the Delta variant, with hospitalizations also on the rise (97% of those admitted are unvaccinated). Total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered have now surpassed the total number of confirmed cases, with a total of over 2.9 billion single vaccine doses administered. China leads in the total number of vaccinations, while Canada leads amongst top economies in the percentage of population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine.

A concrete summary of the impact of COVID-19:

• Hiring prospects appear to have been gradually improving since April 2021

• Nearly 45% of employees report an increase in productivity during WFH

• Most offices will return to at least 50% capacity in the next six months

• 3 in 10 employees prefer to visit their office daily after the pandemic

• Technology will continue to change the way we work over the next three years

• Artificial intelligence is driving change in working practices

• Most respondents continue to work from home full-time

Sector insight:

• The sports industry is proving resilient in the face of COVID-19, with over $12.9bn spent on new or existing sponsorship agreements across the industry. Meanwhile, media rights renewals for major sports and sporting properties remain strong, evidenced by the NFL’s 10 year, $100bn deal signed in Q1 2021, while the English Premier League is expected to renew its domestic media rights packages without a tender on the same financial terms

• Following potential de-valuation of rights, place focus on highlighting potential return on investments

• High demand returns. Becomes a sellers’ market, as businesses flock back for biggest rights on offer. Recent NFL deal confirms this trend

• Demand for sports content remains high in the long-term. Desire to attend events will be higher

Download our free report for more detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 in the Sports sector.