Sports business staff grapple with coronavirus world

CHICAGO (AP) — The idea came together while Dan Migala was working on proper hand-washing techniques with his 5 1/2-year-old son, William.

William is a big NBA fan, so they talked about how he needed to wash his hands for 24 seconds like the shot clock in pro basketball. Dan then asked William about how they could teach more kids how to wash their hands, and William suggested getting a mascot involved.

Dan Migala, a longtime sports marketing executive, knew almost immediately it was an idea worth pursuing amid the coronavirus pandemic. He called his basketball clients, and an NBA team made plans to put together a video of its mascot washing its hands for its social media channels.

With the sports calendar in question more than ever before — the NBA and NHL have suspended their seasons, golf, tennis and auto racing are taking a break, and Major League Baseball isn't sure when it will get started — the sports business world is confronting several challenging issues beyond the potentially considerable loss of ticket, advertising and other forms of revenue.

It is searching for ways to stay engaged with fans without its traditional content sources. It is looking for opportunities to help its communities during traumatic times. It is preparing for what might be a completely different world whenever the games resume.

“We've never seen anything like this. Nobody has seen anything like this,” Minnesota Twins president Dave St. Peter said Friday in a telephone interview with the AP. "You know, sports isn't the most important thing in the world. We certainly recognize that life can go on without it. There's things that are much more important that our country, our world is dealing with.

“But I do think sports leaves a void for people and I think it'll play a really critical role in helping the world heal, but...

source https://www.chron.com/business/article/Sports-business-staff-grapple-with-coronavirus-15146019.php