Coronavirus Reactions: Sports Fans Took Virus Much More Seriously After Leagues Canceled, Survey Says

The coronavirus ravaged through the city of Wuhan, China for the bulk of January, propelling the Chinese government to lock down the densely populated urban center of 11 million people. The infectious virus continued to spread all over the world in the ensuing two months, with the first publicly known case in the U.S. announced on Jan. 21. Roughly one month later, U.S. health officials told us to expect “severe disruptions” to our everyday lives, which has come to fruition, with at least 316 million people in 42 states and territories currently under stay-at-home orders.

And yet, professional sports leagues continued to play on, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans to arenas every night. But that all changed March 11, when Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The NBA suspended play that same night, and by the end of the week, nearly every sports league had followed suit.

It seems as if the U.S. collectively started taking the coronavirus’ threat seriously March 11, when President Donald Trump announced travel restrictions to Europe and legendary actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, announced they had tested positive for the virus. We know for certain there was a catastrophic shift among sports fans, according to the online ticket marketplace TickPick, which recently surveyed 1,000 sports fanatics about their attitudes towards the coronavirus pandemic.

An astounding 84% of respondents said they started taking the virus more seriously after leagues canceled or suspended play last month. The postponements also carried profound impacts on their moods, with 66% of those surveyed saying they were more stressed following the cancellations.

Sports leagues serve as a giant economic driver for the country, with the four major leagues generating nearly $40 billion in revenue annually. In addition, sports have a profound impact on the hospitality and restaurant industries, which have been devastated by the coronavirus.

With those numbers in mind, it isn’t surprising 2/3rds of sports fans became more anxious about the coronavirus pandemic once leagues suspended play. While sports serve as an entertainment escape, they are also an indicator of economic prosperity.

President Donald Trump continues to push for the return of sports, saying last weekend he thinks they will return “sooner rather than later.” Health officials and some governors, however, disagree. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he can’t imagine NFL contests being played in the Golden State this fall, and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf says it’s too early to predict what will happen in the fall. MLB has discussed playing its season in Arizona, though the logistics behind executing a league wide quarantine are complicated — to say the least.

The NBA has also talked about holding tournaments in single cities, including Las Vegas, but league executives reportedly recognize it will be difficult to resume play at all this season.

According to TickPick’s survey, 33% of fans were most upset when the NBA suspended operations. After that, 25% of respondents were saddest to see March Madness go, followed by nearly 20% of people who are clamoring for baseball.

Overall, though the vast majority of sports fans say they took the virus more seriously after the NBA had stopped playing, 20% say they think sports leagues responded too slowly to the virus. Knowing what we now know about the coronavirus’ rapid spread, it is hard to fathom that countless basketball and hockey games were being played in front of fans on a nightly basis as recently as last month.

To fill the sports void, 56% of people say they are rewatching old games, whereas 47% say they are browsing athlete and team social media profiles. For the sports-hungry, thankfully the NFL is proceeding with the Draft as planned April 27. Nearly 1/3rd of respondents say they are occupying their free time with NFL Draft coverage.