COVID-19: public opinion in the U.S. on restarting professional sports 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic that spread across the world at the beginning of 2020 was not only a big threat to public health, but also to the entire sports industry. Several professional sports leagues, including the NBA and NHL, as well as most professional soccer leagues in Europe, took the decision to postpone or suspend their seasons in order to mitigate the spread of the disease. This unprecedented move was covered extensively in the media with ramifications for both players and fans alike and as yet no timeframe for the recommencement of the sports leagues. During an April 2020 survey in the United States, some 21 percent of respondents stated that for the remainder of 2020, sports should be played with no fans present, while 40 percent believed that sports should not be played at all.
