Unpacks

Like many, I began my morning by reading about Dr. Anthony Fauci’s plan to warn the Senate Health Committee of the “needless suffering and death” that could be associated with a premature reopening of the nation. Yet while the headlines have largely focused on the possibility of sparking a new outbreak, what struck me most in today’s testimony was Fauci’s indication that a resurgence of cases is inevitable. “There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, when you pull back on mitigation you will see some cases appear,” said Fauci.

That doesn’t mean we can’t lift restrictions, but Fauci was clear that the only way to do so is with the backing of an extensive response plan: “It’s the ability and capability of responding to those cases with good identification, isolation and contact tracing that will determine whether you can continue to go forward.” Those words seem especially relevant to the sports world’s leadership as leagues around the globe begin eyeing a return to play.

If positive tests are inevitable, then any return plan must be able to answer a very vital question: What happens next?

NBA commissioner Adam Silver had an answer to that question in last week’s conference call, suggesting frequent testing would allow individual players to be isolated before putting others at risk. Other leagues haven’t been so cautious. UFC 249 went ahead despite positive tests, and the Bundesliga returns this weekend even though an entire team has already been forced to quarantine at home. We won’t be celebrating these returns for long if they precede new rounds of outbreaks.

As we clamor for the return of live sports, let’s all keep in sight the simple fact that we are far from out of the woods. Be mindful, be patient and, most of all, be safe.

---  Chris Smith

MLB, UNION NEGOTIATIONS JUST GETTING STARTED

• At the onset of negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, both sides made predictable opening moves, writes SBJ's Eric Prisbell. MLB's return-to-play plan, approved yesterday by owners, included a revenue-sharing element that the league must have known would prompt a quick reaction from the union. That's exactly what happened when union chief Tony Clark said that a revenue-sharing plan is a non-starter. The next negotiating move by either side is the one to watch. 
  
  
• Is the union willing to budge at all from its stance that players should receive prorated salaries based on the number of games played in 2020 because that's what the two sides agreed upon in March? There is no indication to date that it will back off from that. It equates a revenue-sharing plan to a salary cap, and that is a hard no in the union's eyes. There's also the understanding that any concession players make now could set the stage and tenor for negotiations over a new CBA, which expires in December 2021.
  
  
• The unknown here is precisely what level of financial distress some clubs will be in if they have to play spectator-less games for most, if not all, of a shortened 2020 season. They won't open their books. But the next move by MLB should give some indication of how owners view the financial feasibility of starting a shortened season in ballparks without fans. 

DOES MLB HAVE MOST TO GAIN BY RETURNING TO PLAY?

• Despite the current tenor between MLB and the players’ union, FS1’s Colin Cowherd and Jon Morosi believe there is too much ample opportunity for baseball to capture the sports spotlight for negotiations to drag on much longer. Cowherd earlier this afternoon on “The Herd” said the current situation could give baseball something it hasn’t had in years: “Talk-show debates nationally … and social currency.”
  
  
• Morosi said both MLB and the union “realize that if they’re among the first major team sports to come back, they have a special place at the table, culturally speaking.” Morosi: “That’s what baseball needs, and in the midst of everything we’re going through, there is that opportunity.” One example of how the sport can capitalize on its return is to let the players “introduce themselves to the country in a way they really haven’t before.” Morosi: “You’ve got some great young stars in baseball now who are really accessible, we just haven’t heard from them maybe as much as we’ve been listening. It’s a great opportunity for baseball and baseball players to reach out in that way.”
  
  
• Asked for a timeline of when talks could become more productive, Morosi said it was “no accident that this proposal was made here in the middle part of May with plenty of runway before spring training would begin about a month from now.” He added, “We’ll probably hear through the media in the next couple weeks strong statements on both sides, maybe even some hints that an agreement is unlikely. But I still believe, because of everything that’s at stake right here, that there’s a better than 50-50 chance that there’s a meaningful agreement made.”
  
  
  
  

NFL OWNERS TO VOTE ON ALLOWING NEW LEAGUE-LEVEL BORROWING

• Scoop from SBJ's Ben Fischer: NFL owners will vote next week on a measure allowing Commissioner Roger Goodell and the finance committee to increase league-level debt to cover pandemic-related losses, sources said. The permission to increase borrowing will be decided concurrently with a proposal to raise teams' debt limit from $350M to $500M, a 43% increase.
  
  
• Teams typically can either access the league-level credit facility or borrow independently. While no decision has yet been made on whether the league will follow through with additional borrowing, authorizing the finance committee to take that step is a recognition that some teams may encounter difficulties borrowing on their own, one source said.
  
  
• Both steps come after NFL CFO Joe Siclare and his team conducted stress tests on all 32 teams, exploring how their books would fare during the worst-case scenario for NFL teams -- spectator-less games in which players would still be due their full salaries while teams lost most of their local revenue. Because of the league’s strong national TV contracts, most of the financial stress caused by that scenario would be felt by teams.
  
  
• For more from Fischer on league-level borrowing, click here. 

NASCAR TEAM SPONSORS TO PAY TRIBUTE AT DARLINGTON

• Several NASCAR team sponsors will run special paint schemes for Sunday’s race at Darlington that thank health care workers and others on the frontline of the pandemic response, reports SBJ's Adam Stern. M&M’s Chocolate, DeWalt and Caterpillar are three brands who are running such paint schemes, while a host of other companies are also expected to take part. 
  
  
• M&M’s scheme on Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota shows two of its famous characters on the rear quarter panels of the car -- one of which is wearing a nurse’s hat and the other of whom is wearing a hard hat and safety glasses like a construction worker. Caterpillar’s scheme is part of a company-wide campaign to thank truckers and other community members who are moving their areas forward amid the pandemic. Its paint scheme on RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet reads: “Thank you for keeping the world working.”
  
  
• Sunday’s race is going to lean heavy into honoring health care workers, as Fox also announced today that it has worked with its local affiliates to select 36 health care workers across the country who will serve as special grand marshals in a video clip that will show them simultaneously giving the command to start engines. 
   
• Meanwhile, NASCAR hasn’t yet announced the name of Sunday’s Cup Series race, but sources say the name could involve thanking frontline heroes as well.

LPGA SET TO DEBUT VIRTUAL OFFERING AT FAMED COURSES

• Add the LPGA to the list of properties rolling out virtual competition during the pandemic, writes SBJ's John Lombardo. Beginning tomorrow, the LPGA will launch LPGA eTour Live, a match-play esports competition in a partnership with the online World Golf Tour by Topgolf.
  
  
• Eight LPGA and developmental Symetra Tour players will play head-to-head in a series of seven nine-hole, online matches twice a week beginning tomorrow, culminating with a championship match on Wednesday, June 3. All matches will stream live on LPGA and Topgolf digital platforms at 2pm ET. Tomorrow’s first match between sisters Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda will feature Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course, home to the 2022 and 2027 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. 
  
  
• Players can choose from numerous famed courses in the WGT portfolio, including the Old Course at St Andrews, Oakmont Country Club, Pinehurst No. 2 and Pebble Beach Golf Links.  

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY DECISION COULD IMPACT FOOTBALL

• There are still a full three months before the 2020-21 school year is set to begin, but the California State University chancellor has already made a call, and it looks like there will be no in-person classes on its 23 campuses this fall, with just a few exceptions. SBJ's Michael Smith writes that’s significant because most university leaders have said it would be extremely difficult to justify playing sports if students are not allowed on campus. This could potentially impact three football-playing Mountain West schools -- Fresno State, San Diego State and San Jose State.
  
  
• Chancellor Tim White, speaking to trustees a few hours ago, explained that his decision was based on data from the coronavirus outbreak and forecasts that indicate it could spread further. White left open the possibility of changing his mind if circumstances in California change. There was no statement on the impact on athletics, but the sense today is that this is a discouraging development for college athletics this fall. It also shines a brighter light on the conversation about how to conduct a season if some schools play football and others don’t.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH ATHLETES FIRST PARTNERS’ JENE ELZIE

• Athletes First Partners Chief Growth Officer Jene Elzie has been sheltering-in-place with her boyfriend in Cold Spring, N.Y., a town about 50 miles north of NYC. “We are surrounded by nature, which is a nice break from the apartment life,” she said. Elzie is keeping things simple, despite her original ideas for remote working. “I had dreams of a sit-stand desk, multiple screens and one of those ergonomically correct chairs,” she said. “But then I realized that a laptop, a phone and a beautiful countryside view is the peak of my home office ambitions.”
  
  
• Athletes First Partners, a sister agency of Athletes First -- which repped the most first round NFL draft picks this year -- has employees scattered across the eastern seaboard. Many have temporarily relocated from N.Y. “Regular check-ins are essential,” Elzie said. “For my team, it’s not so much about what you’re doing and when, but is about how are you doing?” She believes it is of the upmost importance to “maintain humanity” right now. That means pivoting towards more relatable content and stories. “Our work with the NBPA and the Retired Players Association continues to keep going, and the work we have seen their leadership take on … has been really impressive,” she said.
  
  
• Elzie -- a former Stanford gymnast -- sticks to a fairly tight regimen: “Wake up, meditate, breakfast, exercise, work, relax/happy hour, rinse, repeat,” she spelled out. “Structure is a core component of my own sanity, so I find it works out well. And, we have a dog and a cat to keep us entertained ... or maybe we keep them entertained, I’m not sure.”
  
  
• Quarantine has allowed Elzie to catch up on some U.S. TV shows she missed out on while living in London most of the last decade working for the NBA. Right now, she’s knee-deep in “The Walking Dead” and “The Americans.” Elzie has also learned to play chess recently. “Our nightly games have taught me how useful it would have been to learn chess earlier in my career,” she said. “Strategy is a skill, skills are like a muscle, muscles only develop with exercise.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Elzie has been taking advantage of her countryside view while working from home in Cold Spring, N.Y.

SPEED READS

• In tonight's SBJ College, Michael Smith catches up with AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco, whose conference is taking a hard look at regionalized scheduling for sports other than football and men’s/women’s basketball to help schools save money. Smith writes that makes a lot of sense for the AAC and other far-flung conferences like the Sun Belt and C-USA to cut costs.

• The NBPA has "started polling its membership" about how individuals "stand on a return to play this season," according to sources cited by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. NBPA regional representatives -- including Tim McCormick and Frank Brickowski -- were "among the union officials polling players with a yes or no question on their current desire to return to play this season amid the coronavirus pandemic."

• USA Gymnastics has canceled all premier events through the end of 2020, per SBJ's Chris Smith. New dates were announced for the U.S. Classic (May 22, 2021) and the national championships (June 3-6, 2021). New dates for other premier events, including the Olympic Trials, have yet to be determined. Tickets to this year’s events will be rolled over for the 2021 editions, though ticket holders will also be offered the opportunity to request refunds. The 2020 National Congress & Trade Show will be reformatted into a virtual event.

• Cablefax notes that FuboTV CEO David Gandler yesterday in an interview with Canaccord Genuity analyst Maria Ripps said that the streamer “remained largely unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic” through Q1, in part because the platform “focuses a large portion of its marketing budget towards the start of the NFL season” in Q3. Gandler: “Even advertisers that were specific sports advertisers are still now looking to get into non-live, short of adjacent programming because they believe seasons will start soon. … Things will recover going into the fall, which is really when you’ll see significant growth in our sub numbers.”

• TNT's Ernie Johnson said it's been a "drastic change" being home every night with his family outside Atlanta rather than at the Turner studios for the NBA Playoffs. Johnson and his wife Cheryl spend their time checking in on his mother, who lives 45 minutes away, and taking care of their son Michael, who has muscular dystrophy. Johnson told SBD's Joe Perez, "I keep saying we'll get through this. And I still believe we will, but, man, every day is kind of like, let's get through this day and then we'll get through tomorrow. We'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here.” For more from Johnson, check out today's issue of SBD.

• Based on an analysis of how seven other countries introduced sports back into the economy, Navigate projects the earliest resumption of U.S. team sports to fall between August 29 and October 5. Some individual sports like golf or MMA might resume quicker, and creative solutions that differ from the usual league format and require less outside contact and travel could move team sports sooner as well. Here's a quick overview of the seven countries.

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • MLBPA Sees League's Revenue-Sharing Proposal As A "Non-Starter"
  • Columnists: MLB, Union Need To Hash Out Differences To Save Season
  • MiLB Warming To MLB's Contraction Plan Amid Pandemic
  • Extending CBA Opt Out Lets NBA Deal With Pandemic Realities
  • Details Emerge On MLS' Possible Orlando Return Plan
  • Disneyland Dallas? Cuban Talks Potential Arena Changes
  • Warriors' Chase Center Layoffs Largest Confirmed In Bay Area
  • USC's Clay Helton Says Conference-Only Schedule A Possibility
  • Dodgers' Baseball Brass Taking Care Of L.A. Healthcare Workers

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Terry Lefton is joined by veteran fitness industry exec Tom Cove to discuss the effect of the pandemic on sports equipment manufacturers and marketers.
  • Bill King and Eric Prisbell discuss what leagues, networks and tech companies are considering as they plan for broadcasts of games played without spectators.
  • UFC COO Lawrence Epstein joins Bill King to discuss the ways it revamped event operations in order to resume fighting.
  • John Ourand is joined by the NBPA's Michele Roberts to discuss the pandemic’s impact on athletes and leadership in a time of crisis.
  • MELT Sports & Entertainment founder Vince Thompson dishes on what sponsors in college sports face as they navigate the uncertainty of the football season.

SIGN UP NOW FOR LEADERS WEEK DIRECT: MAY 18-21

• Across the week, you’ll hear from some of the biggest names in sports, including NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts and Amazon VP/Global Sports Marie Donoghue. Each day offers two hours of streamed content, where industry leaders will examine how the future of sport will change. In addition to the main content stream, there will be in-depth breakout sessions that will address specific challenges, plus networking with industry peers.
• You can’t afford to miss this opportunity. For more details, click here.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

Greetings from my home outside of Dallas. Texas has been among the most aggressive states in the reopening process, as Gov. Greg Abbott on May 1 allowed for all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls to reopen at 25% capacity. It's been interesting, just anecdotally, to drive around popular eating areas and see scores of patrons out enjoying the beautiful weather, dining in close proximity and walking in clusters, most without masks.

But just today Dallas County tied its high of new COVID-19 cases in a day with 253. It will be instructive to see how the behavior of those who are venturing out more in states with partial reopenings affects the reported number of new cases in a couple weeks, for better or worse.

For me, the social scene here underscores how different things are across the country. That city-to-city variance is really important to a league like MLB, which enters a critical period the next few weeks as it looks to solidify a return-to-play plan. MLB ideally wants to start its season in the home venues of all 30 teams, but that could be complicated by local guidelines.

Negotiations are expected to begin on Tuesday with the union about the plan, which entails starting a quasi-spring training next month and the season officially in early July. That will start discussions between the two sides about several issues, including medical protocols, testing and player compensation, which is seen as the biggest hurdle standing in the way of a restart. Another important week ahead. 

Stay safe and well, everyone.

---  Eric Prisbell

STORIES YOU NEED TO READ: 

• English Premier League Gets Government Approval To Restart In June
• Under Armour Sees Big Decline In Q1 As Pandemic Upends Retail
• Emmert Stresses Students Must Be On Campus For Sports To Return

CUBAN/MAVERICKS WORKING ON STAGGERED FAN ARRIVAL STRATEGY

• Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban said the American Airlines Center staff has begun planning for staggered fan arrivals should the NBA season return. Cuban, appearing on ESPN Dallas Radio this afternoon, took listeners through a scenario where fans in a limited capacity could sign up for an arrival time at a specific parking spot, and then through a deliberate process be guided to a pre-determined gate before eventually arriving at their seat.
  
  
• Cuban: “We may do that almost like Disneyland. Do it like there’s a procession and you have people guiding you to your seat. Or the example I use is more like a haunted house where you wait in line and you go through the haunted house, but you’re not allowed to touch anything, and everybody just is guided to their seats at the right time. … It may take a little bit longer for everybody to get into their seats to start the game, but we’ll accommodate that and go from there."
  
  
• Meanwhile, Cuban said he does not have a preference between the NBA returning in a bubble city like Las Vegas or Orlando, as both have the necessary infrastructure to house the league. He said, "But Vegas isn’t really going to be Vegas, and Orlando isn’t really going to be Orlando until all the primary attractions get open." 
  
  
• Asked if he was in favor of permanently shifting the NBA calendar to December-August in wake of the pandemic, Cuban said, "I’ve been asking for that for 15 years. We have the opportunity to establish ourselves starting Christmas Day when we start on ABC. The only reason we haven’t done it in the past … is over the summer, historically the number of households watching television dropped dramatically. … But television is different now. … Those dog days of summer, all of us sports fans just cry for more than just baseball.”  

SUBTLE CHANGES MAKE BIG DIFFERENCE FOR UFC BROADCAST

• Facing the prospect of producing Saturday’s pay-per-view in an empty 15,000-seat arena, UFC made several production changes to make sure the event showed well on TV. Production changes -- more than mere tweaks -- came from the way UFC handles audio, video and social, according to UFC Exec VP/Operations & Production Craig Borsari.
  
  
• Audio: Typically, UFC has microphones in the audience to incorporate the sound of the crowd in the telecast. With no crowd, UFC obviously didn’t need those mics, so it focused on putting more mics by the octagon. Saturday’s telecast picked up conversations between fighters and their corners more crisply than before. It picked up audio of punches when they landed -- even jabs. The mics picked up seemingly every grunt and groan during the night. “It exceeded my expectations,” Borsari said. “We knew that we were going to get cleaner audio. I didn’t expect it to be as sharp as it was.”
  
  
• Video: With no crowd, UFC was able to train its cameras on the octagon. Viewers flipping channels who may have seen the prelims on ESPN may not have known that the arena was empty, since the cameras and lighting were trained on the fighters. Borsari: “It came off looking like it was a normal event, which is what our objective was. We weren’t going to shy away from any shots that had empty seats because that’s the situation that we’re in. But at the same time, we wanted to present a product that looked as close to what we’ve done in the past as possible.”
  
  
• Social media: One problem UFC producers wanted to solve was trying to figure out how, with no fans, the audience could be part of the broadcast, Their solution was to implement real-time social media posts into the telecast, including from NFL influencers like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey. “We wanted to connect socially with the viewer at home,” Borsari said. “This was a way to provide a voice to celebrity and media.”

GOLF CHANNEL'S RICH LERNER ADAPTS TO SCALED DOWN PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

• Golf Channel's Rich Lerner will handle play-by-play duties this Sunday for the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity skins game featuring Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff. For Lerner, it's a chance to "get out of the house, and get on the highway," even if he won't be on site at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. Instead, he'll have the call from a studio at PGA Tour Entertainment headquarters in St. Augustine alongside his NBC Sports counterparts Paul Azinger, Gary Koch and producer Tommy Roy. 
  
  
• Lerner told SBJ's Thomas Leary this weekend's undertaking "will be a new reality for a lot of us in terms of how we’re going to produce live golf." Lerner: "Typically, we would all be at the site with a pretty substantial build out. ... Those days for the foreseeable future are over." Lerner said he, Azinger and Koch will practice social distancing during the broadcast, along with every other protocol and safety measure "followed to the letter." 
  
  
• Lerner said of expectations for the broadcast across NBC, Golf Channel and NBCSN, "The simplest way to put this is that for the foreseeable future, golf productions will have as small a footprint as they can. ... We all have high standards. I don’t think that will change. But I think there will be an adjustment period in terms of just what is possible. I think without putting words in anybody’s mouth, 'clean' will be a word that will be heard. … Simple might win the day. Straight forward might win the day. Where we might have wanted to deliver some sort of elaborate element, some of that may be scaled down."
  
  
• Meanwhile, Golf Channel tonight will premiere a two-part special, "Celebrating the PGA Championship," hosted by Lerner in a week where he had planned to be in San Francisco for the year's second major. For more from Lerner, see tomorrow's issue of SBD. 

MSG SPORTS RELEASES FIRST FINANCIAL REPORTS SINCE SPIN-OFF

• The Madison Square Garden Sports Corporation released its Q3 financial report, its first since its predecessor the Madison Square Garden Co. spun off its entertainment business into a new company in April, reports SBJ's Karn Dhingra.
  
  
• With the current NBA and NHL seasons suspended, MSG Sports noted there “is virtually no revenue being recognized, including revenue related to tickets, sponsorship and signage, suites and local media rights.” But with the majority of the NBA and NHL regular seasons mostly complete before the pandemic hit, MSG Sports said it’s well-positioned to currently weather the pandemic’s effects on the company’s finances. 
  
  
• MSG Sports currently has $315 million in liquidity. The company has $100 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, and $200 million in borrowing capacity under two loan facilities with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. and $15 million available under an unsecured revolving credit facility associated with the Knicks. MSG Sports has $350 million in outstanding debt under senior secured revolving credit facilities. As of March 31, the company’s deferred revenue obligation related to the sports business is $85 million, with half related to the 2019-20 NBA and NHL seasons, which would be addressed through refunds, credits and or make-goods.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH LEGENDS’ TODD FLEMING

• As Legends’ lone Austin-based employee, Global Sales VP & GM Todd Fleming was used to working remotely when he wasn’t traveling, so the transition to a full at-home schedule wasn’t too disrupting. Regular video conferences with international partners also had him prepared for the onslaught of Zoom and Microsoft Teams calls that have ensued. “I feel busier than pre-COVID and I think that's a good thing,” he said. “I’ve gotten even further in bed in the projects that we're on and working with the management team and our clients to make sure things are progressing.”
  
  
• Fleming, a 2018 SBJ/SBD "Forty Under 40" honoree, likes to keep the mood light when he can, like giving out an award for the best office setup or screen background on one of his weekly project calls with around 20 people. “It’s been fun to flip on the video and see what everybody’s setup looks like,” he said. Fleming has been overly impressed with Legends’ internal communication. “I don't feel disconnected,” he said. “If anything, I feel more included.” And during this time Fleming would certainly rather have too much communication with his teams than not enough: “I wanted them to see my face. I needed to see their faces. The conversations have been great.”
  
  
• Despite sports’ uncertain future, Fleming has found partners to be optimistic about planning ahead. “People are viewing sports as a release and that's put us in prime position to be still heavily active on the phones … with the clients and we're seeing a ton of success and people still willing to commit their hard-earned dollars towards the future.” Fleming: “We're just helping them strategically think through the proper way to re-open.”
  
  
• With summer vacations on hold for now, Fleming gave his two youngest boys (ages 12 and 10) a backyard camping experience this weekend. “What should have been a 15-minute process to put the tent up, some way, somehow I turned into two hours,” he said. “I taught myself what not to do so I should be good the next time that we do this. And I decided to really, really rough it by running a couple extension cords and putting the TV out there.” In the end, they were able to brave the Texas elements. And how was Fleming feeling on Monday morning? “A little sore,” he admitted.

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

With summer vacations on hold, Fleming gave his two youngest boys (ages 12 and 10) a backyard camping experience this past weekend

STUDY: MAJORITY OF HOUSTON SEASON-TICKET HOLDERS PLAN TO RENEW

• An overwhelming majority of season-ticket holders of Houston’s professional sports teams plan to renew with their plans, while casual fans are less committed to attending games in the COVID-era of sports, according to a survey of 178 local fans conducted by Professional Sports Partners, a Houston-based sports sponsorship sales and marketing firm. 
  
  
• PSP found that 92% plan to renew, while 29% of fans who purchase individual tickets to games are undecided. Of the 132 respondents who were planning to attend an event in Houston before it was cancelled, 67.5% are still planning to purchase a ticket in 2020. Only 7.1% said they do not plan to attend an event, while 25.4% said they were undecided. 
  
  
• With football season on the horizon, PSP found that 93% of fans surveyed want to see the Texans increase the number of hand-sanitizing stations at NRG Stadium and 57% want to see both better concessions and social distancing standards at the venue.

OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTORS: PROGRAMMING ADJUSTMENTS

• Tonight's op-ed contribution is from sports media consultants Ed Desser and John Kosner, who write under the header, "Looking For Truth In Programming And Distribution? Follow The Money."
  
  
• "Everyone is talking about how and when sports will return. Few are addressing the pain to come: the great adjustment and renegotiation chain. For now, force majeure language in nearly all agreements forestalls this process."
  
  
• To read Desser and Kosner's contribution, click here.

SPEED READS

• Early numbers are showing that Saturday’s UFC 249 was a pay-per-view success for ESPN+. Sources told SBJ’s John Ourand that ESPN’s streaming service logged north of 700,000 buys, which is a really good number for any card that does not feature Conor McGregor.

• The NBA's agreement with the NBPA to "extend the 60-day window that preserves the league's right to terminate" the CBA came just three days after Commissioner Adam Silver's league-wide conference call. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, on “The Hoop Collective” podcast, said Silver “pretty much came out and said that the CBA we have … cannot handle this.” Windhorst: “The reason he’s got to stay really close to the players on this, is that at some point here, there’s going to have to be an adjustment to the NBA business model. Whether it’s a short-term adjustment for next season, or whether it’s a long-term adjustment which no one I think knows yet. But the last thing the NBA needs is a labor problem on top of a virus problem. And (Silver) I think is trying to get out in front of it.”
  
  
• Hours after ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reported the 2021 World Baseball Classic would be canceled, Baseball America's Kyle Glaser cites sources saying that the event is "being postponed to 2023" pending the approval of World Baseball Inc., a joint board that includes MLB and MLB Players Association representatives. 
  
  
• The N.Y. Times' Belson & Ward go deep on the hurdles that remain for the NFL's return. If teams are sequestered, injured players "may need to go to a hospital, which are hotbeds for the infection." Players acquired in a trade or through free agency "may need to be quarantined before joining their new team." Extra steps will be "needed to protect teams traveling to away games." And the number of cases is "expected to spike in the fall and winter, in the heart of the NFL season."
  
  
• SI's Chris Mannix looks for boxing to follow the UFC's lead in returning to stage live events. Combat sports are "uniquely equipped to hold major events during this pandemic." Mannix: "Save for the upper echelon of fighters, live gates are dwarfed by broadcast revenue. The number of people needed to pull an event off is relatively small. The strain on testing isn’t what it would be for team sports." Mannix: "UFC has made its decision. Now boxing must make one, too."
  
  

• Golfer Justin Thomas, a member of the PGA Tour player advisory council, sounds ready to tee it up next month in Ft. Worth. He told ESPN's Bob Harig, "I'm 120% comfortable and confident. I'd start next week if I could. I know the tour is not going to let us start and [would] not be running tournaments if they didn't think it was safe and smart." Thomas said he has told other Tour players to accept the unique circumstances, like no fans, at the Tour's first events since March. "The sooner everyone realizes that and accepts it, the better. If we don't play Colonial, there's nothing we can do about it. All I can do is control what I can do and who I can't be around. There will be a lot of guidelines and rules. But I plan on playing a lot."

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • MLB Owners Meeting Today To Discuss Plans For '20 Season
  • MLB-MLBPA Battle Could Be Biggest Obstacle To Playing In '20
  • Study Shows 0.7% Of MLB Staff, Players Have COVID Antibodies
  • NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Tells Players To Prepare For Worst
  • Emmert Stresses Students Must Be On Campus For Sports To Return
  • Dr. Fauci Suggests NFL Season Might Not Be Entirely Fan-Less
  • Source: NHL Down To Two Return-To-Play Scenarios
  • AHL Officially Cancels Rest Of Season, Including Calder Cup
  • Sources: MLS Return Plan May Include Hosting All Clubs In Orlando
  • WNBA Owner Hopeful On Season, But Says Fans Wouldn't Be Allowed
  • Louisville Slugger Maker Ends Mass Furloughs After PPP Grant
  • Robert Kraft Auctions Super Bowl LI Ring As Part Of All In Challenge

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Bill King and Eric Prisbell discuss what leagues, networks and tech companies are considering as they plan for broadcasts of games played without spectators.
  • UFC COO Lawrence Epstein joins Bill King to discuss the ways it revamped event operations in order to resume fighting.
  • John Ourand is joined by the NBPA's Michele Roberts to discuss the pandemic’s impact on athletes and leadership in a time of crisis.
  • MELT Sports & Entertainment founder Vince Thompson dishes on what sponsors in college sports face as they navigate the uncertainty of the football season.
  • Bill King speaks with Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel about the franchise’s vision for a “new normal."

SIGN UP NOW FOR LEADERS WEEK DIRECT: MAY 18-21

• Across the week, you’ll hear from some of the biggest names in sports, including NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts and Amazon VP/Global Sports Marie Donoghue. Each day offers two hours of streamed content, where industry leaders will examine how the future of sport will change. In addition to the main content stream, there will be in-depth breakout sessions that will address specific challenges, plus networking with industry peers.
• You can’t afford to miss this opportunity. For more details, click here.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

Today started with a devastating monthly job report showing 14.7% unemployment, a rate the U.S. hasn’t seen since the Great Depression. It ended with a modest rally on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 up about 2%.

That sense of profound gloom punctuated by some optimism pervaded the sports world, too, where the UFC says it's all-systems-go for UFC 249 tomorrow in Jacksonville, set to be the biggest sporting event in the U.S. in nearly two months.

To me, the most intriguing question of the day was found on the NFL ticket markets, which kicked into life after the 2020 schedule was released Thursday. I say that because it’s a measure of what really matters: The fans’ opinions on the risks posed by live sports, and their own gauge of how quickly they think things will go back to normal.

What did buyers think about purchasing tickets to football games in September given the situation? Mixed bag. Per my colleague Karn Dhingra, SeatGeek said demand had doubled year-over-year; Tickets For Less said volume was down 20%. Reports have been all over the place. But in any case, it appears to be better than the worst-case scenario some had feared. 

--- Ben Fischer

ALL EYES ON UFC'S RETURN IN JACKSONVILLE

• UFC joins the short list of early resumers this weekend when it puts on a pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, the first of three spectatorless events in eight days for the promotion in that city.
  
  
• With a 25-page plan that will revamp its operation, in a state that is one of the first to re-open, the rest of the sports industry will be watching closely. UFC COO Lawrence Epstein discussed that plan, which mandates social distancing but does not completely lock fighters and staff away from the outside world, with Bill King on the latest episode of the SBJ Unpacks podcast.
  
  
• “What we’ve done is about as good as you can get if you’re going to do an event in a somewhat urban environment,” Epstein said, drawing distinctions between the UFC’s plan and that of Professional Bull Riders, which is holding its first three events on a remote ranch north of Oklahoma City. “There are a lot of things you can do to create a de facto bubble.” 
  
  
• UFC has reduced staffing to less than half of the 300 typically used at its events, housed in a single hotel with few outside guests. It has secured more than 1,200 test kits to be used during a week-long stay. It will implement social distancing, limiting groups to certain zones of the arena based on their responsibilities. But it won’t create a perimeter to restrict their movement, instead advising them to act responsibly.
  
  
• “One of the challenges is that states are opening up,” Epstein said. “It’s no longer a situation where it’s only essential businesses or that most hotels are closed. In Florida, most hotels are taking reservations from anybody. There’s no doubt as time goes on the virus is still going to be an issue. So creating these de facto bubbles is going to get more challenging. And that’s where we get back to the shared responsibility, where this stuff can be accomplished if everybody holds up their side of the bargain.”

NASCAR MOVING QUICKLY TO LAND TITLE SPONSORS FOR NEWLY ARRANGED RACES

• With NASCAR set to return to real-life racing in nine days, executives across the sport have been working on a variety of business deals to get affairs back in order, reports SBJ's Adam Stern. NASCAR is in the advertising market seeking title sponsors for its newly arranged races, sources say, and it has also been in touch with local track sponsors and government officials regarding the three venues that were just stripped of a race. Meanwhile, Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch said on an earnings call Wednesday that the appetite from his network’s advertisers for the May 17th event at Darlington Raceway is robust.
  
  
• The sanctioning body is busy on all those tasks and more after a hard week that included deep layoffs across tracks and other departments.
  
  
• Sources say that NASCAR has been looking for one company to title sponsor both Cup Series races and the single Xfinity Series event at Darlington over that four-day span, but that it’s also evaluating just selling them individually if need be. A source said the May 17th Cup event on its own was going for a price in the high six figures. If NASCAR is not able to find a sponsor in time for the makeshift races, it’s possible it could just give the entitlements to some of its premier partners -- Geico, Coca-Cola, Xfinity and Anheuser-Busch -- to give them extra value.
  
  
• Meanwhile, tomorrow’s Pro Invitational Series iRacing event will be the finale for NASCAR’s esports effort; advertisers that bought into the series during the shutdown included IBM, Verizon, Progressive and FedEx.
  
  
  

GENESCO CEO TO SPONSORS: "LEAN INTO THE KNOWN"

• NFL sponsors and other brands wondering about football marketing this fall should follow the league’s lead on the schedule release and “lean into the known,” said Genesco Sports Enterprises CEO John Tatum, whose clients include league sponsors A-B InBev and PepsiCo, and a series of team-level sponsors. Tatum told SBJ's Ben Fischer, “The NFL’s not going away, so I think about things like packaging and sweepstakes and so forth around the Super Bowl, you should absolutely market and build those programs. ... But absolutely realize that if something were to happen, you wouldn’t want to be locked into things like dates, and that could change.”
  
  
• Some of Tatum’s “knowns” include messaging. An emphasis on honoring front-line workers in health care and other industries will work, and sponsorship giveaways will likely shift to hand sanitizers, masks and the like. Hospitality can be assumed to shift to more controlled, small-group suites away from big open gatherings, too. Less known is any expenditure or plan that relies on big crowds at games, or exact dates.
  
  
• Tatum addressed the marketing dynamic after the schedule release last night, approving of the NFL’s decision to commit to schedules even with all the variables in play. “It’s better to be positive and proactive,” he said, suggesting it was better to have plans that might need to be changed than no plans at all. “Everyone’s got an opportunity to adapt if you swing the bat.”

SURVEY: TEAMS MAY BE FACING LONG-TERM ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE

• A survey by Kantar Sports MONITOR, which examined sports fans’ attitudes about the COVID-19 pandemic, found that while 26% of fans indicate that they’ll go to sporting events as soon as it’s allowed, two-thirds say they’ll only do so if they’re sure it’s safe (45%) or won’t go until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed (20%). And an additional 8% of sports fans say they won’t go to sporting events anymore -- which, while a low number, would represent a sizeable hit to teams’ bottom lines if fans follow through with this sentiment.
  
  
• The survey was fielded from April 23-29 among 2,000 Americans who self-identified as sports fans. It also found that 76% of sports fans’ daily routines are either extremely or very interrupted by the pandemic, compared to 61% of non-sports fans.
  
  
• One issue becoming more relevant is hygiene. The survey found:
  
  
  • 62% of sports fans agree, “No matter what the product is, I will pay more if I know it's clean and sanitized” (vs. 53% of non-sports fans).
  • 75% of sports fans believe it’s somewhat/very likely in five years that, “People will no longer shake hands.”
  • 68% of sports fans believe it’s somewhat/very likely in five years that, “Facemasks will be a normal part of public life in America” (vs. 61% of non-sports fans).
  • 37% of sports fans are extremely or very worried about cash exposing them to the coronavirus (vs. 20% of non-sports fans).
    
    
• To see more of the survey, click here or visit www.sportsatlas.com.

PUBLIC MESSAGING TOP OF MIND IN MLB-UNION TALKS

• MLB and the MLBPA are expected to begin negotiations next week over the league’s return-to-play plan once the league provides the proposal to the union, per SBJ's Eric Prisbell. The most contentious issue promises to be players’ salaries. How the two sides, whose relationship has been quite strained, come to a resolution may be neither smooth nor swift. What will be interesting to monitor is the public messaging. It’s lost on no one how bad the optics will be if both sides are seen as squabbling over millions while the nation confronts the worst unemployment numbers since the Great Depression.
  
  
• The two sides reached a rather quick agreement in late March on stipulations related to a 2020 season, but the language in that agreement is left to interpretation. The union believes they’ve already agreed that players will receive prorated salaries based on the number of games played. MLB believes negotiations should be reopened now that it looks like the season would start in fan-less venues, which means ticket revenue would be nonexistent for some, if not all, of the season.
  
  
• Among the primary questions: What incentive do owners have to play 80-100 games in a regular season without asking players to take a pay cut if many, if not all, games would generate no gate revenue? Will players be willing to take pay cuts while also possibly putting their health at some risk by playing in 2020? Which side will bend, and how long will it take for a resolution to emerge? It’s a huge hurdle to clear before a season can start.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH RYAN DEMPSTER

• Ryan Dempster and his family spent almost 40 days quarantining in different rental homes around Lake Geneva, Montana, before returning to their home in Chicago. That certainly made for some interesting video shots for the MLB Network and Marquee Sports Network analyst. Dempster now sets up shop in his basement, where he has an office with accommodating lights, camera and a green screen. “The kids only run through every once in a while, so that's good,” he said.
  
  
• Dempster and Marquee had plans for him to host a monthly late-night style talk show in front of a live studio audience called “Off The Mound” this season. For now, Dempster has pivoted to hosting a weekly show on Fridays from his home, featuring interviews with players and personalities over video chat. Anthony Rizzo and Mike Trout were some of the first guests. Dempster took inspiration from the likes of Jimmy Fallon continuing his talk show remotely, and his goal is to let guests “have a little bit of fun and (for) people to see that human vulnerable side of them.”
  
  
• Dempster, who pitched nearly nine seasons with the Cubs, knows the team wasn’t expecting their RSN to be getting off the ground with no baseball being played. “They're launching a network right in the middle of a pandemic, unbeknownst to them, and that's tough,” he said. “Being somebody who was hired on at the beginning, I wanted to make sure that we had every possibility for the network to thrive a little bit. So, they let me kind of take the reins on it -- which has been great -- booking guests and ideas within the show.”
  
  
• Should MLB return this summer, count Dempster as a fan of the league’s proposal for three divisions based on geography, which would mean teams like the Cubs and White Sox would play each other many more times than in a normal season. “Wow, talk about a really cool thing for the city, to help a city that's had to be in lockdown and bring a lot of banter and a lot of fun stuff amongst Cubs fans and White Sox fans,” he said

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Dempster sets up shop in his basement, where he has an office with accommodating lights, a camera and a green screen

OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTORS: SOUNDS OF SILENCE

• Tonight's op-ed contribution is from Gad Yair, an Israel Institute visiting professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, who writes that Tom Brady and LeBron James both may never play again in front of fans.
  
  
• "Careers are at stake. Age plays a big role in sports -- just ask Brady, who turns 43 this summer. Athletes who trained for the Tokyo Games may lose their opportunity. High school and college players, meanwhile, may not get a chance to make their mark and get attention from recruiters."
  
  
• To read Yair's contribution, click here.

SPEED READS

• The NHL's reopening plan has "shifted" from completing the regular season to "instead staging a 24-team tournament that would include a best-of-three play-in round," according to sources cited by Larry Brooks of the N.Y. Post. Issues related to testing -- "procuring enough kits, swabs, and attendant equipment and labs to enable regular testing with rapid results -- remain outstanding."

• From ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski late Friday afternoon: "In municipalities where coronavirus testing has become readily available for at-risk healthcare workers, (NBA) teams opening facilities for voluntary workouts will be allowed to administer Covid-19 tests to asymptomatic players and staff."

• The Patriots will allow season-ticket holders who are considered high-risk for COVID-19 to get a refund for 2020 and hold their seats for 2021. In an email earlier this week to current ticket-holders, the team said people at risk “because of age or underlying health condition” can seek the relief if they ask before the 2020 season starts. According to the CDC, that includes anyone over 65, or anyone who has lung disease, serious heart conditions, diabetes, severe obesity or otherwise compromised immune systems, such as cancer survivors. It’s too early to say exactly how requests will be handled, but it’s not the team’s intention to seek medical documentation. Earlier this week, the Jaguars also said anyone “facing a COVID-19 medical hardship” is eligible to “take a year off with no effect on their membership status or loss of their seats.”
  
  
• The Single-A South Atlantic League Charleston RiverDogs on Friday released details of how they will have Riley Park Field ready when baseball returns. The detailed plan “follows the journeys of fans, employees, and on-field personnel from the moment they arrive at the ballpark until the moment they leave.” They are the first MiLB team to publicly release such a plan, per SBJ's David Broughton.
  
  

• Esports Observer's Graham Ashton writes how the timing of the pandemic "could hardly have been worse for the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), which had brought on numerous new commercial partners for the 2020 season, and was preparing its debut live event in the Hungarian market."
  
  
• Name, image and likeness issues aren't necessarily at the top of the list for Jamie Pollard during the pandemic. The Iowa State AD told the Ames Tribune, "Put it on the pile of challenges right now. There are two ways of looking at it: You probably couldn’t pick a worse time to put that challenge into the mix, but then you might not have been able to find a better time, because if we’re dealing with new stuff, might as well deal with it all at the same time."

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Sources: NHL Shifts Return Plans To 24-Team Tournament
  • NHL Cancels Games Slated For Europe During '20-21 Season
  • Several NBA Execs Concerned About Psychological Effects Of Return
  • Changes Abound For IndyCar's Restart Plans In Texas
  • Impact Denied Use Of Training Facility Despite MLS Plan
  • Newsom Still Not Convinced Fans Will Attend NFL Games In California
  • Miami-Dade Mayor Expecting Sparse Crowds Initially When Sports Return
  • CFL Commish Says League Likely Facing Canceled Season
  • Jumbotron Contractors At Barclays Center Not Paid During Shutdown
  • Saints Donate Food To Rival Cities As Part Of '20 Schedule Reveal

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • UFC COO Lawrence Epstein joins Bill King to discuss the ways it revamped event operations in order to resume fighting.
  • John Ourand is joined by the NBPA's Michele Roberts to discuss the pandemic’s impact on athletes and leadership in a time of crisis.
  • MELT Sports & Entertainment founder Vince Thompson dishes on what sponsors in college sports face as they navigate the uncertainty of the football season.
  • Bill King speaks with Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel about the franchise’s vision for a “new normal."
  • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's Hugh Weber on his experiences leading the Hornets through crisis during, and following, Hurricane Katrina.

SIGN UP NOW FOR LEADERS WEEK DIRECT: MAY 18-21

• Across the week, you’ll hear from some of the biggest names in sports, including NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts and Amazon VP/Global Sports Marie Donoghue. Each day offers two hours of streamed content, where industry leaders will examine how the future of sport will change. In addition to the main content stream, there will be in-depth breakout sessions that will address specific challenges, plus networking with industry peers.
• You can’t afford to miss this opportunity. For more details, click here.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The most intriguing number that has made its way across the virtual desk here at the home offices/school/kennel the last few days is 1,200. That’s the number of antigen and antibody tests that the UFC had in tow as it headed to Jacksonville for what figures to be a closely watched back-in-the-saddle pay per view event Saturday night.

When the Professional Bull Riders circuit made its return, the PBR said it tested each of about 140 people on entry and exit. It had no problem sourcing them and was not torched for it the way the NBA was when it tested some of its players and staff. The UFC will have four times that many test kits available. 

It said it is returning only because it is comfortable with the availability of tests, particularly in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry were eager to land its events. It also pointed out that its tests were secured on the commercial market, outside of the standard supply chain to health care workers and first responders.

We’ll find out this weekend whether anybody minds. But that still won’t tell us much about what sort of backlash the major pro leagues will face if they intend to test regularly as part of a return, as all have indicated.

It’s good to see the hope that comes along with the release of the NFL schedule, which has become an event unto itself in recent years, perhaps strangely, but surely. It’s good to hear about calls and Zooms between leagues and owners and players unions, trying to get plans in place, just in case.

But my eyebrows raised when I saw 1,200.

Did yours?

--- Bill King

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: LEAGUES NEED "SAFETY-FIRST" MINDSET

• California Gov. Gavin Newsom today again threw cold water on any hopes of returning to sports normalcy in the short term, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. Newsom: “It’s difficult to imagine a stadium that’s filled until we have immunity, until we have a vaccine." But he also said sports are "incredibly important in terms of spirit and pride that a community, state and nation can build."
  
  
• In response to a journalist’s question about the NFL’s schedule release tonight, Newsom also said there were a lot of questions to answer about even playing with no fans. "Do they quarantine the rest of the team if an offensive lineman is practicing with a defensive lineman, and they (have) tested positive? What happens to the rest of the line, what happens for the game coming up next weekend? It’s inconceivable to me that that’s not a likely scenario, so it’s a very challenging question you’re asking.”
  
  
• Newsom said he’s been talking “collaboratively and cooperatively” with a wide range of sports properties, including MLB, MLS, UFC, the NFL and various unions. About the return of sports in general, he said: "I hope to be able to answer that question sooner than later. But it’s a very tough question for these leagues to answer, because they must have a safety-first, health-first mindset, and there are conditions that persist in this state and this nation that make re-opening very, very challenging.”

ESPN'S KARL RAVECH SKEPTICAL OF JULY START FOR MLB

• ESPN's Karl Ravech, who has been on play-by-play duties for KBO games, told SBJ's Eric Prisbell that he is "very skeptical" about MLB being able to start its 2020 season in early July. South Korea, a nation of some 51 million, has taken strong measures with testing, isolating infected people and contact tracing. "Where they are compared to where we are in the measures they have taken, we are not currently close," Ravech said. "Doesn't mean we won't be in June or July, but we are not close to what they are doing. If that is sort of the floor, we are not near the floor yet, let alone the ceiling."
  
  
• MLB is expected to present a return-to-play proposal to the union in the coming days. In addition to addressing player salaries for a truncated season, players' health and welfare concerns need to be allayed. Achieving player unanimity on that front is tricky, Ravech said. "When you are talking about a pandemic and exposing a husband, a father, whatever the role that the player plays, you have to absolutely recognize the consideration of the children, the wives, the moms, the dads, whomever they may be. I find it is going to be a real big hill to climb to get everybody to say, 'Okay.' It feels like there is going to be some risk to go back no matter what." 
  
  
• Drew Rucinski, a pitcher for the NC Dinos, gave Ravech and his team insight into required KBO protocols for players. Players are told to remain in the hotel on the road, and they don't really venture out. There are twice-per-day temperature checks. If someone records a 99.5-degree reading or higher, he is removed from the facility and then tested for COVID-19. Players wear masks everywhere, including in the clubhouse. When they play, they take them off. Ravech: "The great part of what we are doing with KBO is we are seeing it in action. It can be done. It is not something that is impossible to achieve. But we have a long way to get to their way of life." 

FLOSPORTS SEES SPIKE IN TRAFFIC FOR IN-HOUSE ORIGINALS DURING SHUTDOWN 

• FloSports has been churning out original content to fill the void left by the ongoing shutdown of live sports, reports SBJ's Chris Smith. Since the OTT platform prioritized in-house originals following the mid-March lockdowns, live viewership of its original programming is up 253%, and original content now comprises more than half of FloSports’ total videos watched. It previously accounted for just 4%.
  
  
• "Once live sports started to fall, we immediately pivoted to original content,” said Amy Loesch, FloSports Senior VP/Marketing. “We have over 20 films or docu-series that are in development across six different sports verticals, so what we’ve been doing is just looking at our schedule and trying to build an appointment schedule to keep our fanbase engaged.” Tomorrow night, FloSports will debut “The Crossing,” a documentary about the treacherous journey taken by Cuban defector Anthony Echemendia as he made his way to the U.S., where he won both state and national championships before committing to wrestle at Ohio State.
  
  
• Loesch notes that original content isn’t a new priority, as FloSports has a team of more than 60 employees producing its in-house shows and films, though it may have been overshadowed before. “It’s always been a big focus for us, though maybe it didn’t get the attention that it deserved because our live sports are really the main reason why people come to Flo,” said Loesch. “But it’s definitely one of the ways that we are able to bring ... these underserved sports to our fans.”

STATE OF THINGS: LEAGUES/TEAMS EYE RETURN TO ACTION

• May is shaping up to be an important month for the return of sports, as leagues and teams increasingly begin to sharpen the focus of their plans for returning to competitive action. The slow trickle continues with the UFC and NASCAR resuming their stalled competitions in the next two weeks.
  
  
• Check out SBJ's web site for a rundown of major sports leagues/organizations and where they currently stand with regard to the resumption of play. 

WORKING FROM HOME WITH ACC COMMISSIONER JOHN SWOFFORD

• ACC Commissioner John Swofford has been making the most of his home office in Greensboro, where he makes use of his many screens -- laptop, iPad and iPhone -- for nearly-nonstop video conferencing. “I have video calls each morning with the other Power 5 commissioners, twice a week with our athletic directors and once a week with our league presidents,” he said. “I’ve also been on a number of calls with our football and basketball coaches (each group connects weekly) as well as our faculty athletics directors, senior woman administrators, television partners (ESPN and ACC Network) and a few sessions with all 32 Division I commissioners.”
  
  
• Swofford has been part of virtual meetings using WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, and GoToMeeting, just to name a few. “Having the ability to communicate using so many different technology platforms has allowed us to stay connected better than we probably realized was possible,” he said. The ACC has had multiple full staff calls and weekly senior staff video conferences, in addition to Swofford’s numerous individual calls each week.
  
  
• Each day for Swofford includes a walk with his wife, Nora, and a movie most evenings -- one of his recent favorites was “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.” And as you might expect, Swofford has been glued to ESPN on Sunday evenings with the rest of the sports world. “I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Last Dance,’ which allows me to revisit many fond memories of Michael’s time at North Carolina,” said Swofford, who was the Tar Heels’ AD for Jordan’s three years in school.
  
  
• Swofford is working hard to facilitate the return of college athletics, which he believes will be an important part of the country coming back together, when the time is appropriate. But longing for sports comes in at least second place for Swofford during quarantine. “The one thing that I miss more than anything else is interacting with my grandkids,” he said. “We communicate all the time, but nothing replaces having them here with us, or traveling to spend time with them.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Swofford has been part of virtual meetings using WebEx, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, and GoToMeeting, just to name a few

NEWS YOU NEED TO SEE

• Top NFL and team officials reached out to governors and mayors in NFL cities ahead of tonight’s schedule release, emphasizing that they understand the games are subject to government and public health approval, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. The calls have mostly been to be certain the politicians know the schedule is coming, and to communicate that the league is preparing many alternatives if the coronavirus pandemic prevents the schedule from happening as written. Most important, sources said, is to minimize the chance that politicians see the schedule release as a challenge to their authority to prevent large gatherings.
  
  
• Turner will simulcast "The Match: Champions for Charity" across TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN on Sunday, May 24 at 3:00pm ET, with the Bleacher Report app carrying pre-match coverage, reports SBJ's John Ourand. Turner Sports unveiled specifics around the long-rumored show, which will pit Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in a charity match that will see WarnerMedia and the golfers donate $10M to COVID-19 relief. The event will be held at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. Excel and Lagardère Sports are the tournament organizers. The two companies cut the media deal with WarnerMedia and Turner Sports.
  
  
• CAA Sports co-Head Howie Nuchow stressed the importance of leadership concepts during the final day of the CAA World Congress Comes To You virtual event. "People will always tell you who they are. You just have to listen." By observing leaders in an organization, employees can assess, "One, are you working in a place where you could be proud of, whether it's the ethics or how people are approaching problems? Are they running away from problems? Are they being as innovative as they possibly can? Are they communicating? How are they delivering bad news? It's very easy to be good to people during the good times. This is a time when you learn a lot about the people standing to the left and the right of you." 

SPEED READS

• At deadline, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said the "most likely scenario” for his league at this time is no 2020 season. He told TSN's David William Naylor that the CFL is a "valuable and integral part of Canadian life and it’s future is very much in jeopardy.” The league is currently "operating off funds paid in advance by fans, sponsors and broadcasters."
  
  
• Live Nation is waiting on NBA, NHL and MLB schedules in order to figure out when postponed concerts can be rescheduled, per SBJ's Karn Dhingra. Once restrictions are lifted, live music (91%) will be the most likely type of event attended followed by movies (87%), theater (78%) and sports (75%), according to a Live Nation-commissioned survey of ticket buyers.
   

• The 76ers-backed tech incubator, Sixers Innovation Lab, has pumped more funds into N.Y.-based Hydrant, a sports drink startup that creates single-use powder packages for use in 8 to 16 oz. of water. Sixers Innovation Lab is part of a mix of new and existing investors pumping $5.7 million in Series A funding into the hydration company, including RX3 Ventures, of which Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is a partner.
  
  
• The Rams and vendor Suite Experience Group have started selling single-game tickets to luxury suites at SoFi Stadium online, a departure from the traditional customized sales process in premium seating. Rams VP/Strategy Dan August acknowledged the challenges faced by the sales team during the pandemic, which has hit the L.A.-centric entertainment and live event industry particularly hard. He told SBJ's Ben Fischer, "This season could be impacted and the NFL’s come out with refund policies ... but long term we feel good about this.”
  
  

• Emory University professor Zach Binney, who specializes in quantitative theory, shed light on how difficult it will be for leagues to return to action in front of fans despite the best-laid plans. He told Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, "A lot of people just look at the nationwide numbers in the U.S. Something that’s really important to understand is that I would argue that we don’t have one epidemic in this country, we have a whole bunch of epidemics in different areas at different stages. … It’s hard to say where are we as a nation, because it’s really almost where are we as individual states or even individual cities within a state."
  
  
• PLL co-Founder Paul Rabil believes by switching the league’s season to a two-week tournament in quarantined conditions they have “unlocked a model” that other leagues can replicate should they have the ability to do so. Rabil, on his “Unbuckled Chinstrap” podcast, acknowledged the plan “certainly doesn’t project the longevity that pro sports seasons have,” but it still presents opportunity for a league that’s “still very much competing for market share and sports fans and attention of sponsors.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • A-B InBev Will Look To Renegotiate Sponsorships Amid Sports Shutdown
  • Only A Few NBA Teams Plan To Open Facilities At First Availability
  • MLB's July Return Proposal Brings Optimism, But Some Hurdles Remain
  • NFL Encouraged On Chances For Full Season; Testing Will Be Key
  • Sporting KC CEO Wants MLS To Be First U.S. Major League To Return
  • UFC To Use 1,200 Coronavirus Tests For Fight Cards In Jacksonville
  • Plans For Fall Campus Re-Openings Could Mean On-Time CFB Season
  • MLSE Extends '20-21 Season Ticket Payment Date After Fan Backlash
  • Live Nation Preparing First Socially Distanced Concert
  • Pitt Coaches, Pro Teams Donate $800,000 To Fund Vaccine Research

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • John Ourand is joined by the NBPA's Michele Roberts to discuss the pandemic’s impact on athletes and leadership in a time of crisis.
  • MELT Sports & Entertainment founder Vince Thompson dishes on what sponsors in college sports face as they navigate the uncertainty of the football season.
  • Bill King speaks with Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel about the franchise’s vision for a “new normal."
  • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's Hugh Weber on his experiences leading the Hornets through crisis during, and following, Hurricane Katrina.
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.

SIGN UP NOW FOR LEADERS WEEK DIRECT: MAY 18-21

• Across the week, you’ll hear from some of the biggest names in sports, including NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts and Amazon VP/Global Sports Marie Donoghue. Each day offers two hours of streamed content, where industry leaders will examine how the future of sport will change. In addition to the main content stream, there will be in-depth breakout sessions that will address specific challenges, plus networking with industry peers.
• You can’t afford to miss this opportunity. For more details, click here.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

My girlfriend and I are driving 10 hours tomorrow morning from Harrison, N.J., to metro Detroit to retrieve the last of my childhood belongings from my parents’ condo that they’re in the midst of selling. For once, I’m looking forward to being in a car for a full day. It’ll give me a chance to blare some country music.

Like most recent days, the sports world continues to try and pick up steam with returning to action. Today, the Professional Lacrosse League announced it’ll switch to a two-week quarantined format this summer in either the Southeast, Midwest or Mid-Atlantic while the UFC is prepping for a return to the Octagon on Saturday evening in Jacksonville. Despite the positive news, there’s still the stark reality of how COVID-19 has impacted the sports business as NASCAR experiences another round of layoffs. 

On a lighter note, the grand finale of our CAA World Congress Comes To You event wrapped up this afternoon with a virtual happy hour. We hope you enjoyed the conversations with the NBPA’s Michele Roberts and Fanatics’ Michael Rubin, among others. We look forward to seeing you all in person at one of our events soon.

Stay safe and be kind to one another. 

--- Mark J. Burns

WNBA COMMISH LOOKS TO BUILD MOMENTUM FOLLOWING VIRTUAL DRAFT

• The WNBA was the first league to shift to a virtual draft on ESPN due to the pandemic, and the league’s successful effort served as a blueprint for the network as it prepped for the NFL Draft. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, speaking at today’s virtual CAA World Congress Comes to You event, credited the partnership with ESPN for being able to “pull that off in a fairly short period of time.” Engelbert feels she came away from the effort a little more knowledgeable about the process and equipment needed for such an undertaking. Engelbert: “I had four iPads -- one sending in the picks, one sending in the feed from ESPN, one with a variety of backups and lights and tripods. I now know how to work every version of every tripod.”
  
  
• The commish also was happy with the virtual personal touch she was able to give draftees. “We sent them an augmented reality gift box where they would scan a Snapchat icon and what would pop up would be a message from me.” 
  
  
• While there was buzz around the draft and the selection of Sabrina Ionescu at No. 1, building off the momentum is a challenge. The WNBA was scheduled to begin its season on May 15, but that start is delayed indefinitely. Engelbert: “One of the reasons we wanted to continue with the draft (virtually) is because our rosters need to be set and these women's dreams need to be met, and so coming off of that, now we can think innovatively on how to keep the conversation going around marketing these household names.”
  
  
• Some of the ways the WNBA may try to innovate is holding doubleheaders with NBA teams that share arenas once play does begin. The league also may try and broadcast games before or after NBA telecasts and take advantage of the hole in the sports calendar that was going to be occupied by the Tokyo Olympics. Engelbert: “We had no games scheduled from July 13-August 13. Can we use that opportunity now because of COVID-19 and the delay in the season to fill that with some broadcast windows?”

OVERWATCH LEAGUE DELIVERING VALUE DESPITE LACK OF IN-PERSON EVENTS

• The Overwatch League amid the pandemic moved its events online only, and Commissioner Pete Vlastelica during CAA World Congress Comes to You stressed his belief that the pivot has worked. Vlastelica: “Necessity is the mother of invention. We learned that this is viable, and we learned that it's viable at a time when it was essential. But because it's viable and very efficient, we'll be able to bring this into a world where it's not as essential, but still as efficient, in order to make our steady state operation that much better.”
  
  
• Esports have gained a lot of attention as one of the only competitions still pressing on amid the pandemic. Vlastelica said OWL has shown its brand partners that it "can continue to deliver value." He said, “Same is true of our media partners, where we're continuing to deliver all the hours of live content that we're committed to.” Still, he recognizes that the overall health of esports depends on the health of traditional sports. “It doesn't give me any joy to know that we're one of the only professional sports leagues that's still in action,” he said.
  
  
• Vlastelica also addressed OWL’s homestand schedule which was to be used throughout this season, saying that the few events that did take place in the U.S. before the shutdown were rewarding. “When the hometown team walked out, the fans were on their feet screaming,” he explained, “The fans weren't just there for the game or because they love the league. They were there to root on their home team. ... That was the thing that we were trying to prove. That was the bet that we had made.”
  
  
• Vlastelica knows that the current situation will not last forever, but he believes that lessons learned from the homestands and from navigating the crisis will, as companies strive to keep their products relevant and to produce them in ways audiences are looking for. Vlastelica: “Certainly that's the way we're going to be approaching the world post COVID.”

BARSTOOL GETS IN ON VIRTUAL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

• Barstool Sports' hockey podcast "Spittin' Chiclets" this week launched a EA Sports "NHL 20" tournament dubbed the "The Barstool Chiclets Cup," writes SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. The best-of-three, single-elimination format will be co-hosted by Spittin’ Chiclets personalities and former NHL players Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney. The tournament, which includes NHL players, company staff and Twitch streamers, is sponsored by DEVOUR Frozen Foods and broadcasted across Spittin’ Chiclets’ social media channels and Barstool’s website. Matchups air Tuesday and Friday evenings beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
  
  
• Barstool CEO Erika Nardini: “We’re spending a lot of time right now playing with what are sports and what’s the blend of sports, humor and comedy. It’s taking all sorts of different expressions. ... [The Cup] felt like a much better thing to watch than just watching athletes play a game. It feels like much more of an event.” 

NHL EXECS RAMP UP SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT DURING SHUTDOWN

• NHL CMO Heidi Browning said on the first day of the league’s shutdown in March, it initially decided to cease all communication on social media and focus on informative statements from Commissioner Gary Bettman and updates from clubs. “As the pause continued and we realized that this was going to last for an indefinite period, we felt that it was really important to evolve away from just peer communication." Browning said the focus then became a "strategy of communication, community, and connection."
  
  
• Long before officially deciding to work from home, NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer said the league put together a living room-friendly technology program for its producers, editors and employees to create original content. On the takeaways from this experience to apply moving forward, Browning said she wants to continue doing more. “If there’s one wish I have for the gift out of this crisis it would be to slowly change hockey culture as it relates to social media participation, both in the locker room and off the ice.” Mayer said the league’s focus on content evolved into the connection of people and ideas and emphasizing substance over style. Since sports is one of those universal languages around the globe, Browning said leagues everywhere have a responsibility to try and unite and encourage people through uplifting messages.
  
  
• Mayer said the league is listening to those in charge and will not return until it is safe for players, personnel and fans. “I do feel at the end of the day … how important sports is to bring the world back together again. … How we can change the world and have a positive impact is actually quite exciting to me and our team at the NHL,” Mayer said.

SPORTING KC PRESIDENT OPTIMISTIC ON MLS SEASON AS INDIVIDUAL WORKOUTS RESUME

• If MLS can resume play in mid-June, a full 2020 season is still doable, according to Sporting KC President & CEO Jake Reid. On a media conference call this afternoon, Reid added that even if matches don't resume until later in the summer or early fall, the league "could put together some semblance of a season.” Reid: “Clearly, you’re not going to get all 34 games in at that point.” 
  
  
• Starting today, several MLS clubs such as Sporting KC, Inter Miami CF and Atlanta United FC, conducted voluntary individual workouts at their outdoor training grounds, notes SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. When asked about testing players, Reid said that there aren’t tests yet, but did say that “ultimately if we get back to the group [training] stage, that’ll be completely critical. We cannot go back to any type of group training until we have tests.” Reid also said that if matches resume this year in various cities, “you’ll see chartered flights across the board.”

SPONSORS KEEPING CLOSE WATCH ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S STANDING

• The decision of whether to play college football in the fall is intertwined with the larger question of whether to open college campuses across the country, in states that likely will take varied approaches to re-opening. There’s no telling what the season will look like, if there is a season at all. Amid all that uncertainty, how do the sponsors that have tied their brands to college sports make plans and chart courses?
  
  
• SBJ’s Bill King examined that question in the latest episode of the SBJ Unpacks podcast with Vince Thompson, founder and CEO of MELT Sports & Entertainment, an Atlanta-based sports marketing agency that has done extensive work in college sports.
  
  
• “With our clients, we’re adapting against a four to five to six bucket scenario," said Thompson, describing a range from a full return with fans in the stands to no season at all, anywhere. “Any sports sponsorship is tied into consumer behavior; a reach, a target, and certain eyeballs that you want to reach to drive consumption, purchasing and consumer behavior. If all of that is being consumed in the home environment, we’ll shift that definition of experiential, digital, social and retail."

WORKING FROM HOME WITH WINNING STREAK SPORTS CEO CHRIS LENCHESKI

• After decades in motorsports and agency life, Winning Streak Sports CEO Chris Lencheski was used to toiling “AWH,” or away from home, well before the shutdown started. “Every game there’s an away game,’’ he told SBJ’s Terry Lefton. Still, for a guy used to more than a hundred nights annually on the road, becoming accustomed to the current state of quarantine has taken some adjusting for the leader of Granite Bridge Partners’ licensed products company.
  
  
• Lencheski is a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., but he has been spending the past seven weeks or so with his wife and four daughters in Center Valley, Pa., a Lehigh Valley town, centrally located between N.Y. and Philadelphia. With four distance learners under one roof, and a wife who is a school administrator, bandwidth is as critical in this household as food and paper goods. So, there is no hesitation when you ask Lencheski about his technology MVP. “My Eero WIFI is terrific on all four floors,’’ he said.
  
  
• Broadband efficiency throughout their home is especially important, since the Lencheskis have been swapping “home office” locations often to avoid boredom. Lencheski himself is often in the downstairs study/library, but for the increasing amount of video calls, he might escape to the basement location.
  
  
• “This is my longest stretch of time being in one place in decades,’’ said Lencheski, who has been developing Winning Streak’s direct-to-consumer offerings and its technology platforms during the quarantine. Sports licensing has been as hard hit by the coronavirus as any business outside of hospitality and travel, but Lencheski sees it improving from its current standstill to a fourth-quarter recovery, pending heath circumstances, and potentially aided by the return of football and holiday demand.

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Lencheski typically works from the downstairs study/library, but often changes location to avoid boredom

THAT'S A WRAP! FINAL THOUGHTS FROM CAA WORLD CONGRESS COMES TO YOU 

• The fourth and final session of CAA World Congress Comes to You was held today. SBJ Publisher & Executive Editor Abe Madkour had some takeaway themes and closing remarks from the virtual events.

OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTORS: NOW, MORE THAN EVER

• Tonight's op-ed contribution is from Craig Howe of Rebel Ventures, who pinpoints the four ways that sports can stay in the game amid the pandemic.
  
  
• "As an industry, the sports business thrives on values that are associated with winning. Perseverance, dedication, and an unending pursuit of excellence both on and off the field are hallmarks of any client we’ve worked with, no matter what the sport. Now, more than ever, the sports industry needs to embody these values."
  
   
• To read Howe's contribution, click here.

SPEED READS

• The Packers and American Family Insurance are teaming up to provide $20,000 in the form of ready-made meals to frontline workers in Northeast Wisconsin. The team and AFI will deliver thousands of meals to hospitals during Nurse Appreciation Week beginning today through May 12, and police and fire stations during Police Appreciation Week from May 10-16.

• The Ringer's Michael Baumann writes under the header, "The Joy and Anxiety of Watching KBO’s Return." Baseball is back in South Korea, but "as therapeutic as it is to watch a hitter work the count again, it’s hard to escape what this may mean for an ill-advised return for MLB." Unlike South Korea, the "worst is yet to come in the United States."
  
  
• The future of the brick-and-mortar gym stands in question as home workouts rise during the time of the coronavirus. The Wall Street Journal's Avantika Chilkoti reports fitness centers are ready to "experiment with digital offerings and other ways to lure people back when lockdowns ease."
  
  
• Around 64% of U.S. adults would get vaccinated to protect themselves against COVID-19 were one to become available, according to a recent survey conducted by Morning Consult. 14% say they would not and 22% are unsure.

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • MLB Confident It Can Return In '20, But More Outbreaks A Concern
  • UFC Felt No Pressure To Be First Sport Back, But Glad It Is
  • NASCAR President Sees Restart As Opportunity To Draw New Fans
  • Changing Attack: PLL Switching To Two-Week Tournament This Year
  • NHL Hopes To Push Forward With Phase 2, But Will Move Cautiously
  • 76ers Giving Season-Ticket Holders Options Amid Crisis
  • Alouettes President Hopes For Call On CFL Season In Coming Weeks
  • Tennis' Return In '20 Doubtful; Attention Turns To Australian Open
  • World TeamTennis Could Play Whole Season In One City
  • Wild Ride: PBR's Return Gets Attention Of CBS' Stephen Colbert
  • Minnesota United Donation To Help Community Around Allianz Field

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • MELT Sports & Entertainment founder Vince Thompson dishes on what sponsors in college sports face as they navigate the uncertainty of the football season.
  • Bill King speaks with Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel about the franchise’s vision for a “new normal."
  • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's Hugh Weber on his experiences leading the Hornets through crisis during, and following, Hurricane Katrina.
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Mark Burns talk about a path back from this pandemic with a new normal for the sports industry and the potential for fanless games.

SIGN UP NOW FOR LEADERS WEEK DIRECT: MAY 18-21

• Across the week, you’ll hear from some of the biggest names in sports, including NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts and Amazon VP/Global Sports Marie Donoghue. Each day offers two hours of streamed content, where industry leaders will examine how the future of sport will change. In addition to the main content stream, there will be in-depth breakout sessions that will address specific challenges, plus networking with industry peers.
• You can’t afford to miss this opportunity. For more details, click here.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

Battered by the coronavirus, Disney this afternoon reported a sharp 63% drop in adjusted quarterly earnings compared to the same period last year. But new CEO Bob Chapek kept a stiff upper lip in his statement released after the markets closed. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has had an appreciable financial impact on a number of our businesses, we are confident in our ability to withstand this disruption and emerge from it in a strong position."

Closed theme parks, shuttered box offices, canceled cruises and a lack of live sports on ESPN are all hurting Disney, which stands to continue to feel the pain during its current quarter as the pandemic continues.

That said, it isn't all doom and gloom for the Mouse House. The ESPN+ subscriber base rose to 7.9 million in Q2, up 20% from Q1. The success of "The Last Dance" and the NFL Draft also boosted ESPN's primetime viewership in April by 11% compared to the same month in 2019. Meanwhile, the company said Disney Shanghai is re-opening on May 11, which could provide a template for the hard-hit Disney parks division, as well as other large-scale U.S. vacation destinations.

Speaking of ESPN, any Samsung Lions fans out there? Until today, chances were slim at best that anyone could name one team in the 10-team Korean Baseball Organization. But after ESPN this morning began its KBO broadcast schedule with the Samsung Lions playing the NC-Dinos in an empty stadium, sports-starved fans in the U.S. got at least a glimpse of live baseball, and perhaps a model of what MLB could look like whenever the game returns. 

--- John Lombardo

DOLPHINS GET HEAD START ON 'NEW NORMAL"

• The Dolphins made news when they revealed a vision for what a return to Hard Rock Stadium might look like for their fans, socially distanced not only while in their seats, but on their way to and from them. The franchise also recently announced that the stadium will be the first to sign on for a 20-point cleaning certification program, which will include training on what it will take to remove not only spilled beer and mustard, but pathogens such as COVID-19, when venues are filled with fans.
  
  
• Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel explored those and other changes that may come as part of the “new normal” when sports eventually return with Bill King on the latest episode of the SBJ Unpacks podcast.
  
  
• “Cleaning is often thought of as does it smell nice and does it look nice. It’s aesthetics,” Garfinkel said. “Real cleaning is about removing pathogens. Removing bacteria. Removing viruses. You’re never going to remove 100%. We live in that environment and our immune systems are the strongest defense we have. But at the same time, to be in a clean environment where we’ve removed the pathogens and we’re doing everything we can to make it as safe as possible is what we want.”

USTA COMING AROUND ON U.S. OPEN WITH NO FANS

• The USTA’s attitude on hosting the U.S. Open in N.Y. without fans has warmed greatly in recent weeks. That scenario seemed unlikely last month, especially when USTA CEO Mike Dowseall but dismissed the idea on April 16. But Chief Revenue Officer Lew Sherr spoke with SBJ’s Bret McCormick late last week and explained the organization’s shifting thinking.
  
  
• “Two months ago, it just didn’t feel like you could stage the celebration or the spectacle that is the U.S. Open in a no-fan scenario and have it be what we think of as the U.S. Open,” Sherr said. “As we’ve gone forward, I’ve come around to recognizing what an achievement it would be to play, and how much our fans are missing the game and would be excited to see the competition, and that you need to think about it differently. It’s a different event. It would be broadcast differently, it would be consumed differently, it’s not just playing the U.S. Open as you know it, with empty seats.” 
  
  
• Sherr said he’s been surprised by sponsors’ positive reaction to the U.S. Open’s no-fan option, with some viewing it as a potentially historic event. And thanks to media-rights deals, sponsors still would be able to reach an enormous global audience. Sherr: "Keep in mind, we have 850,000 fans who attend, but we’ve got hundreds of millions of fans who still watch the Open around the world and will never step foot on the grounds. ... We had to adjust ourselves and I think the times have adjusted as well.”  

KBO BROADCASTS COULD BRING MORE INNOVATION STATESIDE

• Starting its 2020 season in fan-less ballparks, the Korean Baseball Organization reportedly played games with some cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands and with the murmur of crowd noise heard on the ESPN broadcast. Whenever sports return in the U.S., expect such broadcast-related innovation. Fox Sports Senior VP/Field & Technical Operations Michael Davies told SBJ's Eric Prisbell that he's been studying fan-less games like Orioles-White Sox at Camden Yards in 2015, as well as international soccer matches, for guidance. The KBO games could also prove instructive.
  
  
• In planning for the potential of televising fan-less games, Davies said creative possibilities abound. Execs are engaged in discussions, he said, about the value of using augmented reality to create "virtually covered seats," perhaps creating so-called replacement fans or even a canvas that displays a more exciting visual than empty stands. They are also discussing the "technology and knowhow" of piping in crowd noise, either for just the home viewing audience, or potentially for the players/coaches/staff in the venue. The noise would be nuanced and varied depending upon stadium location and game circumstances. Davies also noted fan-less games should allow for more creative use of flying cameras and drones to capture new camera angles.
  
  
• On piping in crowd noise, Davies said: "It wouldn't just be, 'OK, crowd on, crowd off.' It's not a laugh track. There's a lot of nuance in terms of what that crowd is reacting to and how they are reacting. It's something that video game developers pay special attention to because they need to have the appropriate crowd noise put in to match any game situation. In a live situation, you may have to have a person who is literally scoring the game or making authentic crowd noise. You'd need to have different sounds coming from different parts of the stadium in order to be more authentic about what that audience experience sounds like. The murmur of the crowd is also vital. Once you get into it, you figure out it's not that easy and it's probably more of a manual process."

OTHER TAKEAWAYS FROM OPENING DAY IN KOREA

• The KBO captured sports fans' attention early this morning with its return to play. Below are a few themes and reactions that caught our eye throughout the day.

• Putting safety into perspective: The N.Y. Daily News' Jane McManus: "ESPN should start this broadcast with an explanation of the societal conditions that must be met before live sports are possible, and how the U.S. is no where close. ... Sports aren’t magically appearing in South Korea, baseball has tentatively arrived due to the hard work of public health experts there, and relentless testing. Don’t sugar coat this for American sports audiences."
  
  
• Missing the fan experience: Former MLBer Seth Frankoff: "This is really cool for the game of baseball globally and most especially for the country of South Korea. The only unfortunate part is folks abroad won’t get to see the true atmosphere passion of KBO baseball without fans in the stadium." The L.A. Times' Victoria Kim, who was covering LG Twins-Doosan Bears: "Korean baseball fandom is really something to behold, it feels bizarre without the crowds, chants, songs and thick smell of fried chicken."
  
  
• Passions run high: ESPN's Marly Rivera: "Finding it hilarious that now bat flips are being celebrated... can you imagine that?!? Having FUN while playing baseball?!? Welcome to the baseball Latin America has always known... insert eye roll...🙄." DAZN's Jake Mintz: "What if celebrating baseball with batflips is ok everywhere?" Meanwhile, the "ESPN Daily" podcast this morning went deep on the "secret history of the Korean bat flip," with host Mina Kimes reliving her 2016 trip to cover the KBO.
  
  

• Did you miss today's KBO games? Don't fret. Bears-Twins at 5:30am ET on ESPN2.

IMG TENNIS RAISES CHARITABLE FUNDS WITH VIRTUAL EVENT

• IMG capitalized on all of its associated resources and star power to put on the “Stay At Home Slam” last Sunday, a virtual video game tournament featuring some of the agency’s biggest talents. Each of the 14 competitors, ranging from tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova to singer Seal and NFL star DeAndre Hopkins, earned $25,000 for a charity of their choice, while the tournament-winning duo of tennis pro Taylor Fitz and TikTok star Addison Rae took home $1 million for their charity, No Kid Hungry. All of the celebs and athletes that competed are WME or IMG clients.
  
  
• In part because of Osaka’s relationship with Nintendo, the tournament’s seven doubles pairings played each other in Mario Tennis Aces, a video game for the Switch device. The athlete-celebrity pairings, presence of tennis legends John McEnroe and Billie Jean King, and the goofy nature of the video game were intentional. “We wanted to have fun and give away a lot of money,” Max Eisenbud, IMG Tennis Senior VP, told SBJ’s Bret McCormick. “That came across really well. You got to see the different people’s personalities, you got to see some competitiveness, but in the end it was a lot of fun.”
  
   
• Eisenbud’s tennis division drew on the capabilities and connections of six other branches of Endeavor to put together the event in less than a month. WME’s digital group arranged a deal for the tournament to be streamed on Facebook Gaming. Endeavor Content’s Film 45 unit produced the stream, which peaked at 38,000 viewers. Nineteen separate posts to the live stream drew 3.4 million views. “Everybody was on the same page about wanting to have fun, wanting to bring tennis players and celebrities together, and, again, most important, to be able to donate some real money to help what’s going on with this pandemic,” said Eisenbud. “It ticked so many boxes.”

Each of the 14 competitors, ranging from Sharapova to Ryan Tannehill, earned $25,000 for a charity of their choice

WORKING FROM HOME WITH NLL DEPUTY COMMISSIONER JESSICA BERMAN

• The living room office of NLL Deputy Commissioner & Exec VP/Business Affairs Jessica Berman has everything she needs: computer, printer, white board, office supplies, and a view of her front yard in Westchester, N.Y.. The setup has its pros and cons. Berman: “My two dogs sleep on the couch … and my kids do their home schooling about 20 feet from my desk on the dining room table, which means I can keep my eye on them. … But it also means that we are very much in each other’s workspace.” 
  
  
• The NLL has been beta testing a new digital content strategy, led by Exec VP/Broadcast & Content Joel Feld and VP/Marketing Katie Lavin, and ongoing engagement across all NLL platforms has grown followers during the league’s offseason. Berman has been applying something she learned from NHL CMO Heidi Browning during her time in hockey: “Focus on humans over highlights, and that has proven to be successful.”
  
  
• Quarantine has felt a bit like “Groundhog Day” to Berman. “There is no difference between yesterday, today, and tomorrow. … Every single day feels the same -- Saturday feels no different from Wednesday,” she said. Some lines have also been completely blurred. “For example, being on an important work call while my son is practicing the trumpet in the background,” Berman noted. She’s been trying to call at least one person a day to catch up. And professionally, she launched a weekly virtual happy hour for the league office staff.
  
  
• Berman and her boys started watching Netflix' “All American” together, which gave her the chance to explain the meaning of “binge watching” to them. They are also huge “Survivor” fans (Parvati and Tony are a few of her favorites this season, for any other fans out there). For exercise (12:30 or 6pm depending on the day), Berman runs, takes a spin on her Peloton, does yoga, strength training or gets outside for a hike if the weather cooperates.

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Berman on a typical day sets up shop in her living room with a view of her front yard

SPEED READS

• The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo made the case for why a salvaged NBA postseason would be an important step in the right direction for the sports industry, even if it wouldn’t solve larger societal issues still at hand. Speaking on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Russillo said, “It isn’t just the owners and the players and then us selfishly having something. It’s everybody. Knowing that people at ESPN could be losing jobs, or furloughed. They’d be safer. Same thing TNT, ABC. And then every single podcaster, any blog that has any revenue-generated to covering basketball. Yes, it’s not waitresses and waiters and bartenders and that kind of thing. But we’re still talking hundreds of people being more secure if we have a product to cover.” Simmons: “Probably thousands.”
  
  

• Atlanta United FC will be one of the first teams to participate in voluntary individual player workouts at their training ground beginning tomorrow, writes SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. The announcement comes after MLS said last Friday that it would allow clubs to open up their outdoor practice fields for individual workouts based on guidelines from state government and public health officials. Workouts for Atlanta this week will be tomorrow and Friday with 6-7 players involved in each of the three separate daily sessions, the club said. Media won’t have access to the workouts. The MLS moratorium on small group and full team training sessions is still in place through May 15. 

• Sharks President Jonathan Becher, whose team is supporting more than 1,800 part-time staffers through a COVID-19 relief fund, won't hear about the possibility of raising ticket prices next year to compensate for financial losses. Becher: "No. Absolutes in life are a terrible thing to say, but no. It's not something we've been thinking through. I currently can't imagine a circumstance where that would happen. ... Hockey is built as a blue-collar sport. I don't want to give up that tradition."
  
  
• A new documentary film from Red Bull Media House about world champion surfer Carissa Moore will premiere this Thursday on Refinery29’s Facebook Watch, reports SBJ's Chris Smith. The digital debut will be followed by a live Q&A with Moore. Directed by Peter Hamblin, “RISS. A Film about More Love with Carissa Kainani Moore” follows Moore through the 2019 World Surf League season and captures her qualification for the Tokyo Games, which will feature surfing’s Olympic debut. The movie was originally slated for a live premiere as part of the Olympics’ "100 Days Out" celebration in N.Y. before the Games were delayed until 2021. “RISS” will be available on Red Bull TV beginning May 11.
  
  
• New Cowboys QB Andy Dalton acknowledged that the pandemic played a significant part in his free agency decision, as Dalton and his family chose to remain in their hometown of Dallas rather than relocate to another part of the country. Dalton told ESPN's Adam Schefter the coronavirus factor was "definitely a part of it." Dalton: "It wasn’t the only deciding factor. But for us to stay close to home, not have to move, not have to figure out the whole logistics of that transition, especially during a time like this when there’s a lot of unknowns of what’s going to happen and when things are going to start up. … (That) all factored into my decision.”
  
  
• This past Saturday in a field adjacent to ANC’s office in Argyle, Texas, area residents took in a “Community Drive-in Movie Night.” Denton County Judge Andy Eads addressed the nearly 300 people who listened on their car radio and gathered to watch “Remember the Titans.” Donations were accepted via Venmo to benefit those in need. ANC, whose parent company is Learfield IMG College, plans to actively market this concept across the nation and looks to do another one in Argyle later this summer.

Argyle, Texas, residents recently took in a “Community Drive-in Movie Night" to watch “Remember the Titans”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Korean Baseball League Begins Season As World Curiously Looks On
  • No Guarantee NFL Teams Slated For Int'l Games This Year Will Go In '21
  • Texans To Hire Facility Hygiene Coordinator For NRG Stadium
  • Devils Offering Ticket Holders Full Refunds Or Option To Donate
  • USTA Committed To Holding U.S. Open This Year In Some Form
  • Top Golf Organizations Establish Plan To Return, National Protocols
  • Taiwanese Baseball Taking Rigorous Steps To Quell COVID Outbreak
  • Jim Harbaugh, Wife Sarah Donate $100,000 To COVID-19 Fund

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Bill King speaks with Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel about the franchise’s vision for a “new normal."
  • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's Hugh Weber on his experiences leading the Hornets through crisis during, and following, Hurricane Katrina.
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Mark Burns talk about a path back from this pandemic with a new normal for the sports industry and the potential for fanless games.
  • How are brands navigating the pandemic? What awaits on the other side? Ed Horne, president of creative firm 160over90, shares his thoughts.

THE GRAND FINALE! PART 4 OF CAA WORLD CONGRESS COMES TO YOU TOMORROW

• We’ll have interviews with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Fanatics Executive Chair Michael Rubin, CAA Sports Co-Head Howie Nuchow, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, Activation Blizzard Chief Executive Pete Vlastelica, Sports Medicine Research President Dr. Daniel Eichner and top execs from Learfield IMG College, the NHL, CAA Sports and Luker on Trends.
• There’s also a new time for the finale. Our program starts at 1:45pm ET and ends with a happy hour via Zoom from 4:00-5:00pm. Go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com to register and gain on-demand access to dozens of interviews and sessions from the previous three World Congress episodes.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

I can track the coronavirus pandemic’s unofficial arrival in the U.S. by my daughter’s growth. Vivie was born March 15 and will be two months old in just more than a week. It’s remarkable how the outbreak has warped time to feel fast-forwarded on some occasions and slow as a sloth during others. But I can always look at my chunky, now 11-pound daughter and have an indicator of the pandemic’s progression that at least makes me smile.

Just as our families continue adjusting to this new life, the sports world continues doing the same. The NFL today scrapped its 2020 international games in Mexico and London, while WorldTeam Tennis announced it will play its season in one location, instead of in the nine cities spread throughout the country. The NHL is busily whittling its list of isolation bubble cities from roughly a dozen down to four, bringing it closer to resuming play. And ESPN has sealed a deal with the Korean Baseball League to give the network some form of live sports content while American properties figure out their next moves.

An ESPN poll released today revealed 76% of respondents supported the return of sports without fans, as long as the participants were quarantined and closely monitored. Count Vivie and me in that group. We’re tired of "Top Chef" reruns.

Stay safe everyone.

--- Bret McCormick

TEXANS SEEK FACILITY HYGIENE COORDINATOR

• The Texans are searching for a new employee: A facility hygiene coordinator to run coronavirus risk mitigation throughout the team’s workplaces, SBJ’s Ben Fischer reports. Giving those duties to a new, dedicated staffer ensures it will remain a long-term priority, said Exec VP/Football Operations Jack Easterby, who described the ideal candidate as someone who will “wake up each morning and go to bed each night thinking about the cleanliness of the facility.”
  
  
• The new hire will report to Geoff Kaplan, coordinator of medical administration, but it’s more of an operations management job than a medical position, Easterby said. The hygiene coordinator will be expected to swiftly implement new virus-protection protocols likely to come from the NFL or public health bodies as sports re-start. Those might include installation of new infrastructure, like touchless doors and sinks, or rules for social distancing in crowded areas, or ensuring supplies of necessary cleaning products or equipment, or educating staff. The person will also oversee Aramark, the Texans’ commercial janitorial contractor.
  
  
• Because the Texans are a tenant in the Harris County-owned NRG Stadium, which is managed by ASM Global, the eventual hire will have less authority over the stadium than Texans-owned offices and practice facilities. But he or she will be contribute to decisions made by the stadium partners, Easterby said. This is the first known case of a major U.S. pro sports team hiring a dedicated industrial hygiene expert, though the NBA has asked clubs to appoint a point person among existing staff, as SBJ’s John Lombardo reported today.

DON GARBER: CRISIS HAS ABILITY TO "BRING OUT BEST IN PEOPLE"

• MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be paying close attention if and when the Bundesliga resumes play, citing his "close relationship" with the league's CEO, Christian Seifert. Garber told FS1’s Rob Stone on the “Fox Indoor Soccer” program, "Christian’s a bright guy. It’s just different there. Their government is so closely associated with the league itself. It’s almost like the league is an NGO. It’s so connected. … They have plans to get back to play without fans. Those are still coming into play. I hope that they’re successful so we can probably learn from some of the challenges that I’m sure they’re going to go through.”
  
  

• Garber is connecting with all of the league’s heads of clubs on weekly Zoom calls to determine how they can “effectively return to play” as soon as possible. Garber also said that “financial issues and challenges” are still top of mind two weeks after the league floated a preliminary proposal for player salary reductions. 
  
  
• Garber said he’s proud of players staying involved with charitable efforts over the past couple months in their respective cities. “Guys are out there doing as much as they can via social media, some of them are able to get out of their homes and able to do more active things. … These are obviously unprecedented times and crisis I believe brings out the best in people, and at times perhaps it can bring out the worst in people. I like to sort of tap into all the great qualities that we have in our players who have always been connected in their community … Our whole purpose has been sort of this league that wants to be engaged with our fans.”

JAGUARS TO OFFER REFUNDS ON SEASON TICKETS, DEFERRED PAYMENTS

• The Jaguars announced today they will give full refunds to any season-ticket holder who asks before the start of the 2020 season, part of a series of adjustments amid the pandemic-caused economic strife. Also, the Jags are selling a 2-year plan that would defer 40% of the cost of 2020 tickets until next year if you buy seats for 2021 as well.
  
  
• Historically, the Jags have had a no-refunds policy, but that was re-evaluated in light of the escalating unemployment and uncertainty about the duration of the crisis, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. “You could buy our tickets now, but there’s still a bit of uneasiness of what’s in the future, so we’re going to allow you to cancel that transaction if needed before the start of the season,” said Chad Johnson, VP/Sales & Service. The 2-year plan is designed with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, Johnson said, people who face an extended runway back to normalcy but for whom Jaguars tickets are an important part of their business toolkit.
  
  
• Also, the Jaguars have officially extended the deadline for renewals (to June 5) and the next payment deadline has been pushed back to June 20. The prior deadlines had already been pushed once to late April. Last month, Johnson said the Jags’ top priority during the pandemic -- more than cash flow -- has been preventing the outright cancellations of tickets. "The ultimate success in this season is maintaining our ticket base. That’s the driving factor in everything we did.” The NFL has promised fans their tickets refunds or credits for canceled games, but otherwise has let teams set their own terms this offseason.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS FEELING STRAIN AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL

• Like the rest of the sports world, the Special Olympics has been feeling the financial squeeze of continued COVID-19 lockdowns, reports SBJ's Chris Smith. The organization has a massive global presence, with five million athletes and 100,000 annual events across 172 countries, and it’s been especially pressured at the grassroots level. “Our livelihood happens on the ground in communities all throughout the world,” said Kelli Seely, Special Olympics Chief Marketing, Development & Communications Officer. Seely said that the vast majority, if not the entirety, of local organizations in the U.S. have applied for PPP loans, with some already receiving assistance. Such government support isn’t always available elsewhere in the world, though. “A lot of international programs, especially in Latin America and Africa, have been really hard hit and have required layoffs,” Seely said.
  
  
• At the organizational level, there’s also been a slowdown in philanthropic revenue from increasingly cost-conscious donors. “At an international level, we rely a bit more on corporations and individual donors and foundations,” said Seely. “We’re certainly affected due to the fact that corporations and individuals are watching their money, and rightfully so, very carefully right now.” One avenue of continued support has been partnerships with other sports organizations. Longtime partner WWE recently joined the Special Olympics in launching School of Strength, an at-home workout platform featuring WWE star Becky Lynch, and just last week, a new partnership with the WTA saw tennis players celebrate International Dance Day on social media to raise money for Special Olympics programming.
  
  
• These partnerships typically involve a financial commitment as well as programming support, the latter of which helps the Special Olympics broaden its engagement. “Their reach to their fans and their customers with a message of inclusion and diversity not only builds up a potential donor base for us,” said Seely. “But it also builds up general engagement, bringing like-minded people together. That is just as important, if not more important, than the financial commitment.”
  
  
• The Special Olympics is also in the second year of a five-year fundraising program, The Revolution is Inclusion, which aims to raise $100 million and engage 100 million new people. Seely says the organization is already about two-thirds of the way to hitting the fundraising goal, and it’s so far engaged with around 50 million new individuals. 
  
  

ESPN SURVEY: FANS WANT SPORTS BACK EVEN IF THEY CANNOT ATTEND

• A majority of sports fans surveyed by ESPN said that they are "in favor of watching televised sports without fans rather than waiting for sports to resume only when fans can be in attendance."
  
  
• The ESPN Coronavirus Lockdown Fan Study surveyed 1,004 sports fans aged 18 or older, and 65% were "in favor of sports returning even if fans can't be in the stands." That approval number "grew to 76% when participants were asked if they support the return of sports without fans in the stands if players were kept in hotels and their contact with others was closely monitored." Whenever sports do return, 88% of study participants who consider themselves avid sports fans said that they "plan to watch as much sports as they can" 

HBSE PRESIDENT DRAWS ON HIS EXPERIENCE AROUND HURRICANE KATRINA

• As president of the then-Hornets during Hurricane Katrina, Hugh Weber led the franchise through a period of such utter devastation, it necessitated the temporary relocation of the team for two seasons to Oklahoma City. It was days before Weber heard from some of his employees, and nights when some weren’t sure where they’d lay their heads.
  
  
• Now president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Weber spoke to Bill King about his experiences in New Orleans, and explained how he’s relying on them now, on the latest episode of the SBJ Unpacks podcast.
  
  
• “On first glance, you’d say: This is a worldwide pandemic and that was a flood. How could they be the same?” Weber said in an interview that drew several parallels between the two crises. “Well, right now, we’re homebound. Our jobs and lives have changed dramatically. But we’re thinking of it through the lens of our community. And in that way, it’s very similar.”  

WORKING FROM HOME WITH GOLDEN KNIGHTS CMO BRIAN KILLINGSWORTH

• Golden Knights CMO Brian Killingsworth generally receives a 6:00am wake-up call from his 16-month-old son Knox, which also wakes up his two other boys Cruz (10) and Finn (6). At that point, the family is up and running. Killingsworth starts his workday at 9:00am on a Microsoft Teams call with other team leaders from his bedroom-turned-office and makes sure to check in with Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz, VP/Ticketing Todd Pollock and Chief Sales Officer Jim Frevola throughout the day. “This virtual environment has allowed for more transparency in regards to the human element and seeing families and pets of those we interact with and seeing deeper into the whole person, not just the business professional,” he said.
  
  
• The Golden Knights are focusing on social media and community aid to stay engaged with supporters during the shutdown. The team’s VGK Fit Challenge offered daily workouts demonstrated by broadcasters and in-arena hosts, while the VGK Book Club encouraged fans to read books outlining the greatest stories in sports. “Our fans are craving the communal aspect of being a Golden Knights fan and we want to use our platforms to entertain and interact even more now during this pause,” Killingsworth said.
  
  
• Killingsworth has enjoyed participating in bi-weekly sports industry CMO Zoom chats put on by Nolan Partners. “It has given CMOs in the sports industry the chance to strategize and share ideas for dealing with COVID-19 and the path to getting back,” he said. “Also, this pause has given us the chance to take a deeper look at some new technology-based fan experience initiatives we have been considering.”
  
  
• Killingsworth stays active with lunchtime Kaizen Crossfit workouts outdoors and some form of backyard hockey, baseball, basketball or football with his boys in the evening. “I miss going to the gym but have found really creative ways to try to maintain some level of fitness,” he said. “The plus side has been, if I have an open window in my schedule, I can go ahead and help one of the boys with their schoolwork, or change a diaper, where usually I would be at the office. I’m really trying to find ways to make this time as productive and enjoyable as possible.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Killingsworth makes a point to find time to play various sports with his three boys in the evenings

SPEED READS

• ESPN will bring live baseball back on Tuesday with Opening Day of the Korea Baseball Organization. Baseball Prospectus' Patrick Dubuque has a fun write-up on what viewers can expect in terms of strategy and style of play. "The 'new' KBO feels like the 'old' MLB, if by old you're willing to travel back thirty years or so to the slap-hitting, pinch-hitting, pre-McGwire 1980s. ... Higher batting average, fewer strikeouts, more balls in play: the KBO is a panacea for the baseball purists who have grown tired of the three true outcomes."
  
  
• The N.Y. Post's Larry Brooks makes the case for the structure of next month's NHL Draft to be "tied to the structure the league adopts for the continuation of the season." Brooks: "The league should recognize that in developing its plan for summer hockey. It seems to me that the best plan is the one that incorporates and energizes as many markets as possible. If the idea is to recoup as much revenue as possible, it should also be to generate as much interest as possible."
  
  
• Sports construction giant AECOM was awarded more than $200 million in contracts by U.S. federal and state government agencies to design and manage projects related to the construction of emergency triage hospitals on the East Coast, per SBJ's Karn Dhingra. Among the projects completed was the conversion of the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center into a 450-bed facility, which began taking patients on April 10.

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • NFL Schedule Release Will Not Include London, Mexico City Games
  • Some In NBA Circles Worried About Older Coaches, Staff In Restart Plans
  • Some MLBers Concerned About Various Side Effects Of Restart Plans
  • NHL Moves Focus Back To Four-Arena Plan After Short Deviation
  • MGM Resorts Talks To Leagues About Hosting Teams On Vegas Strip
  • NASCAR Wields Responsibility As First Major U.S. Sport Set To Return
  • USTA Official Says Moving U.S. Open To Indian Wells A Possibility
  • Oscar De La Hoya Making Plans For Boxing's Eventual Return
  • Sources: MLB Rangers Instituting Pay Cuts For Half Of Staff
  • Celtics' Steve Pagliuca Helping Lead Fight Against COVID-19

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment's Hugh Weber on his experiences leading the Hornets through crisis during, and following, Hurricane Katrina.
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Mark Burns talk about a path back from this pandemic with a new normal for the sports industry and the potential for fanless games.
  • How are brands navigating the pandemic? What awaits on the other side? Ed Horne, president of creative firm 160over90, shares his thoughts.
  • Kathy Lupia, a leading security and emergency preparedness consultant, discusses ways venues will have to change their procedures after the pandemic.
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

THE GRAND FINALE! PART 4 OF CAA WORLD CONGRESS COMES TO YOU ON MAY 6

• We’ll have interviews with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Fanatics Executive Chair Michael Rubin, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, Activation Blizzard Chief Executive Pete Vlastelica, Sports Medicine Research President Dr. Daniel Eichner and top execs from Learfield IMG College, the NHL, CAA Sports and Luker on Trends.
• There’s also a new time for the finale. Our program starts at 1:45pm ET and ends with a happy hour via Zoom from 4:00-5:00pm. Go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com to register and gain on-demand access to dozens of interviews and sessions from the previous three World Congress episodes.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The more you contemplate the return of sports, even without a single fan in the stands, the more you realize how complicated it will be.

Consider NASCAR, which has set a return date of May 17. Darlington was chosen not only because it’s a two-hour drive from the sport’s hub in Charlotte, but because it is in South Carolina, a state that has taken an aggressive posture toward the re-opening of commerce. And, still, the adjustments the sport will make to its standard event operations are mind-bending.

Think about what the NBA, NHL or MLB will face as they endeavor to re-unite players and coaches, now spread across the country. Even in a business that’s gone all in on analytics, the variables -- medical, societal and geographic, to name just a few -- can be overwhelming.

And that’s just the first step. In order to make its return last weekend, the Professional Bull Riders tour committed to a “bubble” environment locked away from outsiders, complete with social distancing, small working groups, contact tracing, masks and, yes, COVID-19 testing for a group of 140 riders, stock providers and minimal support staff required to put on the event.

The PBR’s plan -- which you can read more about in Monday’s edition of SBJ -- may not be plausible for every tour or league. After all, each is unique. But they do have a few things in common:

People. Fear. Hope.

--- Bill King

TEAMS, LEAGUES LISTEN TO CASHLESS VENUE PRESENTATION

• Venues are going to accelerate any plans to go cashless in the wake of the pandemic in an effort to minimize cash handling, which can potentially spread the coronavirus among fans and employees. Mercedes-Benz Stadium just finished its first year going cashless, and SBJ's Karn Dhingra notes the venue gave a virtual presentation today for many in the business interested in going cashless once live sports with fans return.
  
  
• AMB Sports & Entertainment, which operates the Atlanta venue, saved $350,000 through operating efficiencies, spread across 49 events held over the past year at the stadium. Those events brought in 2.5 million fans overall and increased food and beverage sales by 16% over the previous year. To serve fans who preferred to use cash or don’t have access to a bank account, AMBSE placed 10 “reverse ATMs” throughout M-B Stadium. Fans can insert cash and receive a universal debit card that can be used for food and beverage and merchandise purchases inside the stadium or outside the stadium.
  
  
• In addition to safety, M-B Stadium locked in the No. 1 spot for food and beverage, including speed of service, across all NFL venues for the third consecutive year. Roughly 95% of fans noticed the same or an increase in speed at concession lines and at peak times a 20-30 second reduction in wait times
  
  
• Which groups/teams/leagues were among the 900 registered for the virtual presentation? AMBSE exec Heather Sautter broke down the list for SBJ:
  
  
  • 28 NCAA athletic departments
  • 1 NCAA conference
  • NHL league office
  • 31 NHL teams
  • NBA league office
  • 28 NBA teams
  • NFL league office
  • 26 NFL teams (not counting the Falcons)
  • MLB league office
  • 24 MLB teams
  • 8 current MLS teams, two expansion teams
  • 1 USL club
  • 1 MiLB club
  • 36 sports venues (not counting M-B Stadium)
  • 10 team ownership groups
  • 17 vendors/partners
  • 23 non-sports venues

SPRING COLLEGE FOOTBALL WOULD COME WITH BIG CHALLENGES

• There are many different scenarios floating around college football, one of which is to play the 2020 season in the spring of 2021. It’s clearly not the best-case scenario, but it is compelling enough that some Power 5 commissioners, like the Big 12’s Bob Bowlsby, have discussed it as an alternative, albeit an unlikely one. There are many pitfalls, one of which Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel tackled: Would top players skip a spring season to get ready for the NFL combine and draft?
  
  
• The quick answer is absolutely they would, writes SBJ’s Michael Smith. They’re already skipping bowl games to limit the threat of injury. They’d certainly pass on an entire season to protect their draft status and lessen the risk of injury, especially if the season conflicts with important NFL dates like the combine and draft.
  
  
• In talking to several college administrators this week, very few of them see a spring football season as a viable alternative. If football moves to the spring, so does every other fall sport. That means, on a given Saturday in February and March, a campus could be hosting football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, field hockey, soccer and lacrosse competitions, just to name a few. It would be an administrative nightmare, they say. Every college administrator understands the need to collect media-rights revenue from football, but at some point the logistics just don’t work.
  
  
• Another alternative: Play as many football games as possible in the fall, understanding that a full season might not be conceivable. Then, as a money generator, come back in the spring with a game. Each school would schedule a game for mid-to-late April, roughly the time they’d be wrapping up spring practice. It’d be an opportune time to play some of those games that never get scheduled, like Florida vs. UCF. The weather would be ideal, fans would love it and it would be an opportunity to recoup some of that lost revenue.

AHL, ECHL CLUBS AMONG BUSINESSES GETTING FEDERAL PPP LOANS

• Minor league hockey teams from the ECHL and AHL are taking advantage of the federal government’s paycheck protection program, reports SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. Of the 26 ECHL clubs, five told SBJ that they’ve applied and received funding, including the Adirondack Thunder, Atlanta Gladiators, Fort Wayne Komets, Rapid City Rush and Indy Fuel. Three teams -- the Tulsa Oilers, Wichita Thunder and Greenville Swamp Rabbits -- said they were denied.
  
  
• Todd Mackin, president of the Rush, said the club was approved for its eight full-time business staff, but didn’t receive funding for its five hockey operations personnel, who were classified under the league’s payroll. The Thunder, which also owns and operates Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls, N.Y., received $199,000 as part of one loan, according to team President Jeff Mead. None of the ECHL clubs are directly owned by a NHL team, but the Maine Mariners are owned by Comcast Spectacor, which owns the Flyers.
  
  
• Of the AHL’s 31 active teams, of which are 18 NHL team-owned and two are NBA team-owned, the Binghamton Devils, Syracuse Crunch and Utica Comets applied and were approved for the PPP. Jon Greenberg, president of the AHL Milwaukee Admirals, said the team applied on Monday during phase 2 of the PPP. As of presstime, the Admirals’ documents had been accepted by the Small Business Administration and the government had reserved the team’s funding, but haven’t guaranteed the loan yet.
  
  
• “Our plan, since this ordeal began, has been to keep our entire full-staff of 18 working, knowing that as soon as this ends we will need to move into hyper-speed,” Greenberg said. “We lost eight home games due to COVID-19, which cost us not only significant ticket revenue, but concession and merchandise money -- not to mention potential playoff revenue -- as our team has the best record in the AHL and may not be able to compete for a Calder Cup. At our level, these revenues are our backbone and having the PPP program, while certainly not making us whole, will soften the blow.”
  
  
• Teams not mentioned either didn’t apply for or fit the criteria for the loan, declined comment or didn’t respond altogether. 

SPORTS INNOVATION LAB'S LATEST MATRIX HIGHLIGHTS FAN BEHAVIORS

• Sports Innovation Lab unveiled its new Power Play Index, a matrix through which industry leaders can identify the companies best suited for engaging various fan behaviors. Sports Innovation Lab co-founder Angela Ruggiero, a four-time Olympic hockey player and SBJ "Forty Under 40" honoree, told SBJ's Chris Smith there are roughly a dozen facets through which fans engage with sports, and the index will rank the standouts in each category. “Any type of action that you want your fans to do, it’s ‘fan engagement, fan engagement,’” said Ruggiero. “We took a really close look at that and we said, ‘What does that actually mean?’ If engagement leads to revenue, can we break that up?” 
  
  
• The first engagement framework the company examined is Connect, which identifies the technology providers that are best positioned to engage with fans through things like digital displays, mobile messaging and touchless transactions. “When the industry is ready to start allowing fans back in the building … what are the things that [fans] are going to need to have the trust to come into the building? And if you’re not investing today in those technology partners … you’re not going to have the necessary tools and partnerships to make sure your fans feel safe and secure,” said Ruggiero.
  
  
• The index ranks companies by tech capability and market validation, as measured by established partnerships with sports properties. Extreme Networks scored top marks, thanks to strong tech -- namely, Wi-Fi 6 and machine learning built into its stadium-specific networks -- and widespread adoption from major sports partners in the NFL, MLS and NCAA. 
  
  
• Ruggiero said the Power Play Index has been a goal for the company since it was founded three years ago, and its launch was recently accelerated to provide a data-driven tool to industry leaders as they adapt to the ongoing public health crisis. Ruggiero expects her company will roll out indices for the remaining fan engagement pathways, like Bet and Share, about once a month. 

Extreme Networks scored top marks, largely thanks Wi-Fi 6 and machine learning built into its stadium-specific networks

MLS OPENING UP OUTDOOR PRACTICES TO FOUR PLAYERS PER FIELD

• MLS confirmed a report from SBJ’s Mark J. Burns detailing how clubs would be allowed to open up outdoor practice fields for voluntary individual training beginning on Wednesday, May 6. Teams must follow local public health and government policies as they allow access to their training grounds. As part of the new protocol, players won’t have access to their training building. The training policy outlines each outdoor field being divided into a maximum of four quadrants, with one player per quadrant training alone without sharing any equipment. Between every session, all training equipment and spaces will be sanitized and disinfected. There will be hand-washing and disinfectant stations for required use before and after the training sessions.
  
  
• Some of the other procedures include players wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) from the parking lot to the field and back to their vehicle. Essential staff must also wear PPE throughout training and maintain a minimum distance of 10 feet from players. Additional measures include players undergoing a standard screening assessment survey before arriving each time at the training grounds as well as temperature checks as they arrive at the facility. Players and staff will have staggered arrivals and departures.
  
  
• With the announcement, the MLS moratorium on small group and full team training also continues through May 15.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH PRODIGY SEARCH’S MARK GRESS

• Prodigy Search Partner Mark Gress has a temporary-constructed office in his basement in Philadelphia and has been pleased with how quiet and surprisingly strong the Wi-Fi is down there. Gress has also enjoyed having breakfast and lunch with his wife and two boys (ages 8 and 1) each day. “We try to work with our older son to get two or three homework assignments done before 9:00am, which is fun attempting to do so with minimal coffee consumed by that time,” he said.
  
  
• Prodigy has long used Slack for internal communication, and while some clients have asked to use Zoom, many have continued to prefer phone and email, Gress said. The current climate is certainly difficult for hiring new employees, something Prodigy is well aware of. “Our outreach to (clients) has to be sensitive but we are letting them know we are ready to go when they are, we have candidates in the pipeline or that we’re otherwise here to help,” Gress said. He estimated roughly half of Prodigy’s searches are still active, just at a slower pace, and the other half are on pause.
  
  
• Gress has learned a certain method to making the days go by smoothly. “My older son has benefited the most via Amazon purchases as payment, or bribery, for watching our younger son and helping my wife and I,” he said. “We’ve been taking turns with our youngest and utilizing nap times to the fullest.” Gress also is trying to look on the bright side of the current situation. “This whole thing has been a blessing in disguise in one respect,” he said. “For example, my college friends set up bi-weekly Zoom calls and whomever is free can join just to say hi and check in.”
  
  
• Advice for others? “Keep in touch as much as possible,” Gress said. “It helps with sanity for one but two keeps you engaged. It isn’t about checking on if you are doing work, it is telling people what you are working on or offering to help others where they need help without the human contact.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Gress enjoying the peace and quiet of his temporary basement office in Philadelphia

SPEED READS

• The NBA has officially postponed this month’s Draft Lottery and Combine. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league’s board of governors “held off on formally pushing back the June 25 Draft date -- although sources still expect that will eventually be done.” Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith tweeted: “One silver lining that a team just told me: ‘We feel like this is better news than ever that we'll finish the season. Can't have the lottery without the standings being locked. We feel like we'll finish the year.’"
  
  
• Women in Sports & Events (WISE) has postponed its awards luncheon, originally slated for June 10, to March 16, 2021, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. It will stay at the original location, the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. The previously announced honorees are NHL Exec VP/Club Business Affairs Susan Cohig; Disney Springs, Water Parks & ESPN Wide World of Sports Senior VP Rosalyn Durant; Wasserman President of Brands & Properties Elizabeth Lindsey and MLS President & Chief Administrative Officer JoAnn Neale. The group’s WISE/R symposium has also been postponed, and will occur on March 15, 2021, at the TimesCenter in N.Y.
  
  
• The sports shutdown hasn’t stopped the Wilpon family, which still owns the Mets, from making a new tech investment. Fortune.com notes the family’s investment vehicle, Sterling.VC, which operates esports teams competing in Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, was part of a recent $7 million round of funding for San Francisco-based Guilded, which has created a chat platform for gaming communities.
  
  
• ESPN Radio Nashville host Chase McCabe said NASCAR’s May 17 return at Darlington Speedway is a welcome chance for the circuit to be the “only show in town.” McCabe: “This is a huge opportunity for a sport that lost a ton of momentum, then started to get some of it back last year with the revamped rules package.” McCabe also said NASCAR finally “had the right people in place” last year with Jim France and Steve Phelps. McCabe: “I think they’re going to get people tuning in that have never watched NASCAR before simply because there’s a live sport on.” 

• Virginia is the latest school to see salary reductions, as AD Carla Williams and 71 head coaches, assistant coaches and staff members from the athletic department will take pay cuts through the end of the calendar year. The Hampton Roads Daily Press notes all 20 head coaches “volunteered” for the reductions, which were “either 5% or 10% based on level of annual salary.”
  
  
• Golf.com’s Alan Shipnuck shed light on the risk the PGA Tour could run by coming back too soon in Ft. Worth in six weeks. “If the Tour rushes back to action and there is an outbreak of the virus among players, caddies and/or support staff, the plug would have to be pulled for a very long time to reassess protocols, repair the brand damage and restore trust among the many stakeholders," he said. "The position of the Tour leadership was that they had to cobble together a new schedule and be ready to go ASAP, but ultimately they will be flexible and willing to push things back further.” 
  
  
• Tomorrow will mark the first time since 1945 that the first Saturday in May isn’t highlighted by the Kentucky Derby. But for those seeking a solid mint julep before the re-scheduled Running of the Roses in September, Woodford Reserve, a Derby sponsor, will be on Twitter tomorrow at 2pm ET showing fans how to make their own drink. 
  
  
  

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • NASCAR Is All Engines Go For May Restart At Darlington
  • Many In NBA Circles Still Optimistic About Finishing Out Season
  • Sources: NHL Now Focusing On Playing Games In Home Arenas
  • MLB Teams Preparing To Use Home Ballparks To Finish Spring Training
  • Mets, Yankees Face Some Backlash For Ticket Refund Policies
  • MLS Allows Clubs To Open Outdoor Training Grounds Next Week
  • Stars To Furlough 20% Of Front Office Staff For Two Months
  • Smaller Tennis Competitions Fill Void From Tours On Pause
  • Pistons, Nets Owners Team Up To Help Detroit Fight Virus

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • xxxx
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Mark Burns talk about a path back from this pandemic with a new normal for the sports industry and the potential for fanless games.
  • How are brands navigating the pandemic? What awaits on the other side? Ed Horne, president of creative firm 160over90, shares his thoughts.
  • Kathy Lupia, a leading security and emergency preparedness consultant, discusses ways venues will have to change their procedures after the pandemic.
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

THE GRAND FINALE! PART 4 OF CAA WORLD CONGRESS COMES TO YOU ON MAY 6

• We’ll have interviews with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Fanatics Executive Chair Michael Rubin, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, Activation Blizzard Chief Executive Pete Vlastelica, Sports Medicine Research President Dr. Daniel Eichner and top execs from Learfield IMG College, the NHL, CAA Sports and Luker on Trends.
• There’s also a new time for the finale. Our program starts at 1:45pm ET and ends with a happy hour via Zoom from 4:00-5:00pm. Go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com to register and gain on-demand access to dozens of interviews and sessions from the previous three World Congress episodes.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

It was another day of conflicting messages.

The latest gut punch from COVID-19 struck Little League Baseball, which canceled its iconic World Series scheduled for this summer. That’s never happened before. But as one local Little League after another canceled their seasons, it gradually became apparent that the championship event just wasn’t going to happen in August. We’ll see you in 2021, Williamsport.

From Iowa came word today that the Hawkeyes’ moratorium on athlete workouts would be lifted on June 1. That bold step came from the university’s president, Bruce Herrald, who said, “We’re ever so hopeful that the virus will be behind us at that point.”

The image of the day came from the Hudson River, where Comfort, the Navy’s hospital ship, had been moored for the past month to relieve the pressure on New York’s crowded hospitals. The city doesn't need Comfort anymore.

On to the news. Stay safe, everyone.

--- Michael Smith

MLS IN ACTIVE TALKS TO SATISFY PLAYER POOL

• MLS is exploring alternative ways to cut back on player spending after initially floating a preliminary proposal of what salary reductions could look like, reports SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. That original proposal did not sit well with the player pool, several sources said. Last week, roughly 100 players heard from Commissioner Don Garber and ownership with the Whitecaps and DC United to discuss the shutdown’s economic impact to MLS and the league’s mindset when it originally asked players to take pay reductions.
  
  
• One source characterized the discussions as constructive, believing that there’s common ground between both the league and players with both sides wanting to return to training and hopefully, playing. Others described the distance between the union and league as “very far away.” Those individuals, including another source with knowledge of the situation, said that conversations are currently ongoing and active. Another source with knowledge of the situation said there is a disconnect between players and the front office. In other words, it was difficult for players to see a need for them to take the proposed pay cut while senior front office executives, including Garber and Deputy Commissioners Mark Abbott and Gary Stevenson, took a 25% reduction in salary. 
  
  
• A complication for MLS player salary matters is that there’s currently no ratified collective bargaining agreement, which was agreed to in principle and announced in early February. Additionally, there’s no known force majeure clause that could potentially make it easier for the league to stop paying players.
  
  
• There’s a sentiment among the player pool that the league is using non-ratification of the CBA to get players to take a pay reduction, several sources said. It was an issue raised on last week’s call with ownership and Garber, though the league told players it’s not using that as leverage in negotiations. Sources have also said there’s a belief that the Board of Governors and league cannot ratify the CBA during the current economic climate and with no matches being played.

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES LATEST EVENT TO BE CANCELED

• The Little League World Series has been canceled for the first time since the tournament began in 1947, marking the latest sad, yet inevitable consequence of this sports year unlike any other, SBJ's Eric Prisbell writes. Prisbell recalled the pride that Stephen Keener, Little League President & CEO, exuded when informed in December that the MLB Little League Classic was named SBJ's "Best Original Sports Event of the Decade." The cancellation of the LLWS also puts an end to the fourth installment of that event, where a MLB game is played in Williamsport, Pa. MLB players and little leaguers have mingled and bonded during previous iterations.
  
  
• In recent weeks, even as many local spring Little League seasons were being canceled before they even started, Keener maintained slender hope that somehow the iconic nationally televised August event could be preserved. But it's clear that it's not feasible for a host of reasons, chief among them differing quarantine rules by state, as well as international travel restrictions and immigration requirements that teams from around the world would need to navigate.

PBR CEO TALKS ABOUT RETURN TO COMPETITION AMID COVID-19

• The Professional Bull Riders circuit resumed last weekend at a 300-acre ranch north of Oklahoma City, with a travel party of about 140 riders, stock workers and support staff, all tested for COVID-19 upon entry and exit. Divided into small working groups and bunking in RVs, they committed to socially distancing for their entire stay. Even the cowboys wore masks.
  
  
• PBR CEO Sean Gleason talked to SBJ's Bill King on the latest Unpacks podcast and discussed the details of the complicated return of his sport to competition, as well as what he believes  it will take for all sports to come back in a nation slowly emerging from quarantine. “I’ve shared our plan willingly with anybody who has asked,” Gleason said. “My message to them is get in there, get your (medical) professionals around you ... and get those people working on your behalf to help you understand the circumstances and help you create a safe environment to get back to work.”
  
  
• Some keys to the PBR’s return: A “bubble” that allowed the organization to monitor and control those within it, a re-examination of event procedures to identify the minimum number of people needed, working groups of six or less that limited the risk of spread if someone were infected and testing both before and after the event.

PBR resumed last weekend north of Oklahoma City, with riders, stock workers and support staff all tested for COVID-19 upon entry

COLLEGE HOOPS COACHING CAROUSEL STILL FLUID AMID PANDEMIC

• Wake Forest became the latest school to hire a basketball coach after conducting its interviews via video conference on Zoom, reports SBJ's Michael Smith. Deacons AD John Currie plucked East Tennessee’s coach, Steve Forbes, even though they didn’t meet in person during the interview process until today when Forbes traveled to Winston-Salem, N.C., to sign his contract.

• Interviewing job candidates online through a video conferencing app has become the trendy way to do business during the pandemic. While ADs say they don’t envision video interviews replacing face-to-face interactions long-term, it has been a handy tool to cope with a lockdown that limits most travel. Chad Chatlos with Ventura Partners, which assisted Currie with the search, said video conferences could be an effective way to conduct initial interviews once things get back to normal, perhaps with only finalists coming to campus.
  
  
• SBJ Unpacks looked at how Georgia Southern AD Jared Benko hired his basketball coach last month.
  
  

TIMING OF MLB TICKET REFUND DECISION FUELED BY LACK OF CERTAINTY ON RE-OPEN

• MLB, as expected, this week gave teams the autonomy to make their own decisions regarding a ticket refund policy, writes SBJ's Eric Prisbell. The plan always was for the league to allow teams to exercise its team policy, a league source said, but the primary question was when that would take place. MLB's original guidance to teams during the shutdown was to treat games that weren't played as rainouts because it was still theoretically possible that games could be rescheduled in late summer or beyond. More than a month after the originally scheduled Opening Day, no games have yet been formally canceled. How teams handled refund policies over the last month varied greatly. Most waited for guidance from MLB. At least one told SBJ it was "quietly" offering refunds to fans who requested them.
  
  
• MLB has been conducting ownership-level discussions with teams regarding ticketing policies and also about both the stay-at-home orders and re-opening processes in their respective markets. As the weeks passed, the source said, it became clear that there is no more certainty now about the future than there was a month ago when Opening Day was scheduled to occur. That's why MLB decided late April was the appropriate time to offer guidance to teams.

FC CINCINNATI LEANS ON CONTENT CREATION TO STAY CONNECTED WITH FANS

• FC Cincinnati's content creation and finances are two issues that are top of mind for COO Dennis Carroll during the sports shutdown, notes SBJ's Mark J. Burns. During a conference call today, Carroll he's constantly thinking about fresh content for his MLS club. "That’s our sole platform for us to talk to our fans,” he said. “Pretty much every one in the organization is a content creator. They’re ideating across the group each day. How can we speak to fans? How can we provide creative content that they’ll engage with?”
  
  
• Another area Carroll is thinking about is finances, including the team’s stadium construction, scheduled to finish next spring. Carroll: “In a scenario where we’re forced to kind of miss games or a situation where we miss the entire season, it’s a significant revenue loss and could lead to cash flow issues. That’s where we have to really balance the construction that we have going on, which is at a pretty rapid pace.”
  
  
• For this season, if and when it resumes, Carroll has also heard some scenarios where MLS teams could play 75% of matches on the road.
  
  
• Given that the economics of MLS aren’t what the NFL and MLB are, Carroll said the league has to get creative with media partners. "Maybe add different elements in the broadcast that you’re able to commercialize and drive revenue from,” he said. Carroll added that 10-15% of staff have taken up to a 15% salary reduction for an "indefinite period." Cincinnati did not apply to the paycheck protection loan program within the CARES Act. The club also put a freeze on front office hiring after having nearly a dozen openings.

4TOPPS PREPPING PRIVACY PANELS, HANDS-FREE SANITIZER FOR VENUE SEATING

• Premium seat manufacturer 4Topps is preparing for the post-pandemic era with a new feature to its loge seat, drink rail and swivel seat offerings, which are found in sporting venues all over the U.S., SBJ's Karn Dhingra reports. Venues will be able to have privacy panels between each seat with an optional hands-free sanitizer mounted on the panel. They will be built to negligibly impact sight lines, but rise to fully divide the table, 4Topps President Deron Nardo told SBJ.
  
  
• The privacy panel is prototyped and ready for production. 4Topps has promoted it via email and social media and gotten numerous responses asking its price and availability, Nardo said. The company is finalizing the prototypes and will have pricing in the next week, Nardo said. 4Topps table units already space fans out six feet from the rows in front and behind and the safety panel ensures safety from adjacent table units, Nardo added.

STATE OF THINGS: PBR BACK, WITH GOLF, NASCAR CLOSE TO RETURN

• PBR was the first U.S.-based sports organization to return to action following a nearly global stoppage of sports because of the coronavirus pandemic. SBJ's Bret McCormick writes the bull riders will soon have company as the PGA Tour, NASCAR, LPGA and other leagues begin to zero in on plans to revive their stalled competitions during May and June.
  
  
• Check out SBJ's web site for a rundown of major sports leagues/organizations and where they currently stand with regard to the resumption of play.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH OPENDORSE CEO BLAKE LAWRENCE

• Opendorse co-Founder & CEO Blake Lawrence has been quarantining in Manhattan's financial district, where he and his fiancée live in a nearly 3,000-person apartment building. They try to limit elevator use to once a week to go to the lobby to pick up packages or groceries. “Going into the hallway, onto an elevator and riding 42 floors down is very real in New York -- the risk you take just by going downstairs in your own building,” he said. Lawrence works at a makeshift desk by his bedside, while his fiancée works in their living room. “It is definitely not glorious. … We're just making it work,” he said.
  
  
• Lawrence is thankful that Opendorse has been fortunate enough to retain its 36 full-time employees, most of whom are in Lincoln, Neb., with others in Denver and N.Y. Lawrence said most of March was spent adjusting this year’s budget, and now things are now looking up. “Once it flipped over to April, most of the industry has settled into their work from home routine (and) realized that there needs to be a plan for what happens after the pandemic,” he said. “Sales have gotten back on track; renewals are coming in.”
  
  
• One bright spot for Opendorse was the NFL Draft, with sponsored social media content shared by draftees performing 4x or 5x better than any draft in the past eight years, according to Lawrence. The amount of money athletes were able to command from sponsors in exchange for their services was also similarly higher.
  
  
• Lawrence is hopeful the NCAA’s recent developments around name, image and likeness will help shift the sports industry’s thinking back to somewhat normal problem-solving. He said leaders he has spoken with “aren't ignoring the impact of COVID-19 on their athletic department, but they're choosing to also focus on the reality that they need to be prepared for NIL rights changes.” Lawrence: “The morale is cautious about the next 9-10 weeks in college sports, but optimistic about the next 9-10 months.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Lawrence has ceded the living room to his fiancee, working from a desk next to his bed

SPEED READS

• NCAA President Mark Emmert during an interview on NBCSN today said the organization is “working with the federal government, state governments, the conferences to determine if and when schools can be reengaged in sports." Emmert: “The biggest variable here isn't when is it OK to play a game, it's when can schools reopen again.”
  
  
• The NFL will not hold its owners’ meeting scheduled for May 19-20 as planned in Marina del Rey, Calif., instead shifting it to a virtual meeting, the league confirmed today. SBJ's Ben Fischer reports there had been some consideration of moving it to a different location, but officials opted to simply cancel the live gathering. The May meeting tends to be a more subdued affair with a limited agenda, though several key rule change proposals will be voted on, and some decisions regarding the 2020 season could become ripe by then. 
  
  
• It remains unlikely that there will be a traditional Minor League Baseball season in 2020, writes SBJ's Eric Prisbell, due in large part because MiLB can't afford to play without fans and fans aren't expected to return to sporting venues anytime soon. Nothing formal has been announced. MiLB moved quickly to issue a statement yesterday, calling a report about the season already being canceled "false." The independent Atlantic League issued a statement today maintaining that it intends to play in 2020.
  
  
• ASM Global, the venue management business for AEG, plans to launch a new hygiene program at all of its 325 venues. ASM’s Venue Shield program will follow international health care guidelines from the CDC, NHS, PHAA and WHO. The program includes having employees using personal protective equipment, enhanced food safety measures, air quality control, increased surface cleaning, physical/social distancing, temperature checks, thermal cameras, hand sanitizers, reduced touch points, contactless transactions and daily monitoring systems. ASM has hired consultants to manage protocols for air purification, filtering and the maximization of fresh air exchange at its venues.
  
  
• SI’s Rohan Nadkarni said he doesn’t think Commissioner Adam Silver’s decision to allow teams to re-open practice facilities “really vibes with what the NBA has done so far regarding the coronavirus.” Nadkarni told SI’s Chris Mannix on “The Crossover” podcast, “I didn’t fully understand the reasoning behind it. Why do this now if you’re still not sure when the season’s going to start? … Is it worth putting anyone at extra risk for a season that we’re not even sure is going to take place?”
  
  
• The PGA Tour’s planned return is now six weeks away, and ESPN’s Michael Collins is “hopefully pessimistic” about the targeted start of the Charles Schwab Challenge, as there are still concerns still lingering over hospitality and broadcast production. He told the ESPN Radio affiliate in Charlotte, “We’re talking about 288 guys -- players and caddies -- that are going to Ft. Worth. Where’s everybody staying? … Everybody thinks putting a golf tournament on would be easy -- two guys inside the ropes practicing social distancing. Yes, that part is easy. But to put it on TV is not … It’s a good 500-600 people that it takes to put on a golf broadcast.”
  
  
• Reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger said he is “very optimistic” about the MLB season starting sooner rather than later, a feeling he said is resonating with his fellow Dodgers teammates during chats and conversations with the MLBPA. Speaking with Dodgers broadcasters Orel Hershiser and Joe Davis on the “Off Air” podcast, Bellinger said: “There’s just more information on potentially what’s going to happen. Divisions, where we’re going to play -- information like that. No one really knows for sure, but there’s just more information about how it could possibly work.”
  
  
• The latest COVID-19 fundraising effort from Titleist will give golf fans a chance to play a unique, back yard par-3. The Jim Nantz Pebble Beach Experience auction, which ends tonight at 9:00pm ET, includes a round at the famed course followed by a visit to Nantz’s home for a cocktail hour, as well as the ability to take a few swings on Nantz’ popular back yard setup.

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Some See Disney As Ideal Locale To Resume, Finish Out NBA Season
  • NHL Targets Mid-To-Late May For Opening Of Team Facilities
  • Angels Seen As Leaders With MLB Teams Beginning Ticket Refund Plans
  • LPGA Dealing With "Staggering" Financial Losses Due To Pandemic
  • NYRA Considering Plan For Saratoga Race Without Fans
  • Canadian Government, CFL In Discussions On Financial Assistance
  • Blues To Begin Staff Furloughs, Salary Reductions On Monday
  • A's To Pay Full-Time Employees Through May
  • Proceeds From New Clippers Clothing Line Benefit Local Charity
  • Yankees' Stanton Helps Hospital Workers On Both Coasts

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • PBR CEO Sean Gleason discusses how the circuit held its first event this past weekend since the COVID-19 shutdown began.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Mark Burns talk about a path back from this pandemic with a new normal for the sports industry and the potential for fanless games.
  • How are brands navigating the pandemic? What awaits on the other side? Ed Horne, president of creative firm 160over90, shares his thoughts.
  • Kathy Lupia, a leading security and emergency preparedness consultant, discusses ways venues will have to change their procedures after the pandemic.
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

THE GRAND FINALE! PART 4 OF CAA WORLD CONGRESS COMES TO YOU ON MAY 6

• We’ll have interviews with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Fanatics Executive Chair Michael Rubin, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, Activation Blizzard Chief Executive Pete Vlastelica, Sports Medicine Research President Dr. Daniel Eichner and top execs from Learfield IMG College, the NHL, CAA Sports and Luker on Trends.
• There’s also a new time for the finale. Our program starts at 1:45pm ET and ends with a happy hour via Zoom from 4:00-5:00pm. Go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com to register and gain on-demand access to dozens of interviews and sessions from the previous three World Congress episodes.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

Many of today’s headlines regarding Dr. Anthony Fauci’s interview with the N.Y. Times focused on the negative, highlighting the quote that some leagues are “going to have to bite the bullet” this year and cancel their seasons. The interview, though, did offer some glimmers of hope. It will be a hard road. But it is possible for leagues to start playing, Fauci said. “You’ve got to be really creative.”

Fauci noted leagues and organizations are going to have to “test all the players and make sure they’re negative and keep them in a place where they don’t have contact with anybody on the outside who you don’t know whether they’re positive or negative.”

Speaking of MLB, specifically, he said, “Get a couple of cities and a couple of hotels, get them tested and keep them segregated. I know it’s going to be difficult for them not to be out in society, but that may be the price you pay if you want to play ball.”

Stay safe, everybody.

--- John Ourand

SALARY CUTS, FURLOUGHS TO IMPACT NFL STAFF

• The NFL announced broad salary cuts and furloughs across league staff today, citing the economic damage of the pandemic, reports SBJ's Ben Fischer. Commissioner Roger Goodell isn’t currently taking a salary after the owners’ compensation committee approved that action at his request last month, according to a letter from committee chair and Steelers President Art Rooney II.
  
  
• Effective with May 22 paychecks, anyone earning more than $100,000 a year at the NFL will see tiered cuts: 15% for exec VPs, 12% for senior VPs, 10% for VPs, 7% for directors and 5% for managers. No one’s salary will be reduced below $100,000 by these measures, reads the Goodell memo, which went to staff at the Manhattan HQ, NFL Films and NFL Network offices. The league also will implement a furlough program starting May 8 for anyone “unable to substantially perform their duties from home and/or whose current workload has been significantly reduced,” Goodell wrote. The commish did not say how long the furloughs or the salary reductions would last, but noted, “We are hopeful that we will be able to return furloughed employees back to work within a few months.”
  
  
• The league will also permanently reduce its contribution to pension funds from 15% to 10% of eligible compensation effective July 1. It’s not known exactly how many people are affected.  “The economic consequences for our country have been substantial,” Goodell wrote, adding later: “It is clear that the economic effects will be deeper and longer lasting than anyone anticipated and that their duration remains uncertain.”
  
  
• Goodell also mentioned the league has limited new hiring, frozen salaries for many employees and undertaken a company-wide review for cost reductions. Goodell’s base salary is around $4 million, but his annual income could be up to $40 million if he meets all incentives under his 2017 contract, which was the source of substantial disagreements among the owners. Goodell said in the memo that the league continues to plan for a full 2020 season.

BUSINESS OF THE NFL STAYS STRONG DURING PANDEMIC

• In the six weeks before the NFL announced salary cuts and furloughs, the shield had been the most active sports league, taking a business-as-usual approach that has stood out among the sports community, writes SBJ's John Ourand. The amount of activity made today’s cutbacks all the more surprising. It started with the NFL’s decision to allow its free agency period to run as scheduled, starting March 18. Just two days later, Tom Brady announced that he was signing with the Buccaneers, providing a topic that has dominated sports media for the ensuing month-and-a-half.
  
  
• On March 31, the NFL sold the rights to a pair of Wild Card playoff games to CBS and NBC -- bringing in more than $140 million combined for the matchups. Three weeks later, the NFL Draftwas held remotely, shattering TV viewership records for the event across ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. In the days leading up to the draft, Roger Goodell faced some criticism for his decision to continue with the event as planned. But he earned nearly universal praise afterwards due to the record audience, combined with fewer than expected glitches for the remote production.
  
  
• Then today, the NFL renewed its streaming deal with Amazon for 11 “Thursday Night Football” games, plus one late season game on a Saturday. Sources said Amazon paid a healthy rights fee increase to keep those rights. 

STRINGENT SAFETY PROTOCOLS TO BE PART OF NASCAR RETURN

• With NASCAR set to be one of the first major sports to return to action, the sanctioning body’s soon-to-be-implemented safety protocols are leaking out -- and they include plenty of masks and temperature taking, reports SBJ's Adam Stern. NASCAR will release a revised schedule as soon as tomorrow, and the first race back is expected to be Darlington on May 17. The schedule will be incomplete and only show a month or two worth of races, as NASCAR is not yet prepared to roll out the entire campaign given the fluid nature of the pandemic.
  
  
• NASCAR has been consulting with a public health expert on at-venue guidelines. Track personnel are going to be significantly limited, with essentially only people participating in the race itself on site. Tracks will not be open to fans, media and industry personnel who are not essential to pulling off a race. The ban on these categories of attendees could be for an initial period of around four or five weeks. NASCAR’s protocol for what it will do if anyone at a track tests positive for coronavirus is not yet clear.
  
  
• Sources say that NASCAR is going to require every person at the track to wear a mask at all times and to have their temperature checked every time they enter and exit the facility. The private plane companies who work with teams have also been developing protocols. It’s not yet clear to what extent NASCAR is trying to obtain rapid tests and how those could eventually factor into the equation. NASCAR President Steve Phelps told SBJ last week that he has been in touch with fellow commissioner Jay Monahan to share best practices, as the PGA Tour will be another league seeking to make an early return.
  
  
• Several NASCAR teams are known to be in the process of purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE), including hundreds of masks. The Race Team Alliance has helped identify PPE makers with surplus equipment who are ready and willing to sell to private companies. NASCAR is essentially blowing up its prior schedule and aiming to run as many races as possible in the Southeast over the next couple months, as that region is among the earliest opening up for business. After Darlington, the sport will travel to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24.

LPGA COMMISH TALKS RETURN TO PLAY, FINANCIAL IMPACT OF SHUTDOWN

• Commissioner Mike Whan shed new light on plans for the LPGA's return, set for July 15-18 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, notes SBJ's John Lombardo. During a video conference call, Whan spoke about the challenges planning a restart and plans for a season that will now end in December. “I'm not naïve enough not to think that we still need to see progress as it not only relates to the virus and the curve, but as it relates to testing and our ability to make sure we can create a safe environment everywhere we play," he said. "But I think we've now bought ourselves enough time between now and then to deliver what we believe is a realistic schedule and a realistic operation plan to deliver a schedule that our athletes and our sponsors will be excited about being a part of."
  
  
• Whan would not put a dollar amount to the financial impact due to the shutdown. “It's a staggering financial impact year. It doesn't take us to our knees. It doesn't put us on a death watch, but I've been very proud and I've said in many interviews, we've saved more money in the last 10 years than in the 60 years before, but it's possible in 2020 we could eat up most of the savings we saved in the last 10 years in 10 months."
  
  
• The commissioner added that there will be no clear-cut policy regarding spectators when play resumes. “I don't think there will be a one-size-fits-all answer,” he said. “I will tell you that most of our tournaments would prefer, for obvious reasons, to have a hometown experience, to have fans out there, to have their customers out there. ... What we've essentially said with each tournament is let's make a final assessment of what we can build and if you will build 45 days before we go.”
  
  
• Testing will be a major component of the LPGA’s return, which is set to start in Midland, Mich. "We obviously realize when we show up we're a pretty global group and we're coming from all over the world. I want to make sure that town feels as comfortable as I do about us coming and about us staying healthy along the way. How often we'll be virus testing is still to be determined, but I've told the players and the caddies, expect it to be regular at our events."

TIMELINE COMING INTO FOCUS FOR POTENTIAL MLB RETURN

• The final two weeks of May loom as an important window for MLB, writes SBJ's Eric Prisbell. If the league hopes to start its season between late June and the first week of July in order to play anywhere from 80-100 regular-season games -- followed by a presumed expanded playoff structure -- it likely will need to make a formal announcement of a resume-to-play plan during that window. That would give players somewhere between 7-10 days to report to either Arizona or Florida or a select hub location such as the Dallas area or elsewhere.
  
  
• A sampling of MLB execs in recent weeks by SBJ revealed that most believe that 2-3 weeks of ramp-up time -- definitely less than a full month -- would then be necessary to ready players, and especially pitchers, for the start of the season.
  
  
• The Metroplex area of Dallas-Ft. Worth continues to look like an attractive option as one of the handful of markets where baseball could resume. Gov. Greg Abbott is letting Texas' stay-at-home order expire tomorrow and allowing businesses to reopen in phases Friday, when retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls will be permitted to operate at 25% capacity. If all goes well -- and there is no "flare-up" of COVID-19 -- then the second phase would allow businesses to expand their occupancy to 50% on May 18.
  
  
• Several MLB players balked at the idea of having to be quarantined in a city away from home for perhaps several months at a time. But the Dallas timeline for reopening -- if it doesn't re-ignite the spread of the virus -- could in a couple months allow for players to not have to be quarantined for that long of a period. They'd have more freedom than in other markets, with or without family accompanying them, while adhering to necessarily social distancing protocols.
  
  
• Potential markets where re-openings are successfully underway could be a significant selling point for players. MLB sources are hopeful that a handful of other markets could be in the re-opening stages at various points during the season, which would create more opportunities for playing venues.

TOP U.S. OLYMPIC DOCTOR DISCUSSES TRAINING FACILITY MEASURES

• Dr. Jonathan Finnoff, chief medical officer for the USOPC, told media today that four members of Team USA have tested positive for COVID-19, reports SBJ’s Chris Smith. Finnoff said that three of the individuals are residing at USOPC training facilities and the fourth was living offsite, but with facility access. There are currently 185 people, including 90 athletes, residing at Olympic training facilities in Colorado Springs, Lake Placid and Chula Vista.
  
  
• Finnoff, who assumed his role at the beginning of March, said that the low number of positive tests is the result of strict countermeasures. “We implemented a pretty rigorous workplace infection protection program immediately upon my arrival here,” said Finnoff. “We have high-density housing with our athletes on site … and despite that and the potential for a significant outbreak because of exposure, the measures we took resulted in three isolated cases on our site.” Finnoff added that the USOPC quarantined people who had been in close contact with infected individuals and that none developed symptoms.
  
  
• Though living quarters have remained open, the USOPC shut down training facilities in Colorado Springs and Lake Placid on March 18. The city-owned training center in Chula Vista closed its track venue at a later date, though Finnoff said the facility in SoCal has otherwise “worked in close collaboration” with the USOPC. Training facility populations fell significantly after athletes returned home following the USOPC lockdowns. The Colorado Springs facility currently houses around 70 individuals, less than one-third of the pre-shutdown population of 220, and the number of individuals residing at the Lake Placid facility is down from 60 to 25.
  
  
• Yesterday, the USOPC published new official guidelines for athlete training and event planning. The guidelines detail the steps through which athletes and event organizers can minimize the risks of transmission, though they are also clear that risk-free training and events won’t be possible until COVID-19 is either "eradicated, a vaccine is developed, or a cure is found.”
  
  
• Finnoff also said that mental health has been a focus. At the beginning of April, the USOPC announced a 13-member mental health task force, and Finnoff said that access to resources has been expanded; previously, mental health resources were only available to athletes with Elite Athlete Health Insurance, but access has been “significantly expanded” to include a larger number of both athletes and USOPC staff.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH BILL SIMMONS

• Bill Simmons has been spending most of his work hours in his backyard pool house that he describes as an office/man cave combo. From there, he does podcasts, take calls and, of course, has TVs on showing old games. “It’s like my little work bunker,” he said. One big challenge has been communicating with execs from Spotify, which shifted to remote work four days after closing on its deal to acquire The Ringer. “Everything’s been remote -- so we have been interacting with our new co-workers through phone calls and Zoom,” Simmons said. “People we barely know that we’re trying to get to know. So, a lot of it almost doesn’t feel real.”
  
  
• Staff at The Ringer have learned they can effectively record podcasts remotely, something they didn’t think they could do three months ago. Simmons: “We figured it out -- sent our hosts high quality podcast equipment (it’s not as expensive as you’d think), have them do the podcast on Zoom (so they can see each other) but record their audio on their end. Then they send the files to the podcast’s engineer and it sounds like a real podcast.”
  
  
• Creating content without live sports is not ideal for a sports-centric site, but Simmons feels The Ringer is in good shape. “We’ve always tried to be creative during dead spots of the calendar with nostalgia content, nerd culture stuff and theme weeks -- it’s something we learned to do at Grantland, how to cover ‘dead’ content weeks in February, August or whenever with pre-planned gimmicks that we can throw our people into and just get creative.” Now, Simmons is just hoping his staff gets the challenge of going from no sports to a ton of sports, quickly.
  
  
• How is Simmons filling the hours that would have been spent watching sports? “I’ve watched an exceptional amount of television, even for me,” Simmons said. That’s included “Ozark,” “Mrs. America,” “Melrose Place” and dozens of old NBA games. “I’m in basketball withdrawal,” he admitted. On the family front, Simmons speculates he’ll never get to spend this much time with his teenage daughter ever again. His advice for others? “Get outside. Don’t stay in one place for too long. Don’t do serious work with your family in the same room because they never know if you’re seriously working or not.” All of that with one caveat: “I broke all of these rules in the last 8 hours so don’t listen to me.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Simmons says his staff has learned they can effectively record podcasts remotely, something they didn’t think they could do three months ago

SPEED READS

• TV episode recap programs have been a media mainstay for years now, whether it be “Talking Dead” or “West Wing Weekly” or “Decoding Westworld.” Chicago-based TeamWorks Media is now applying the format to “The Last Dance” documentary with a weekly program called “Backstage At The Last Dance,” notes SBJ's Austin Karp. On Monday afternoons on Twitter during the documentary’s five-week run, the TeamWorks feed recaps the two episodes from the night before. The talking heads on the video series: Tom Smithburg, director of media relations for the Bulls during that 1997-98 season; Mike Sear, producer of Bulls pre-game, halftime and post-game shows for the team’s RSN during the 1997-98 season; and Chris Weber, a producer at NBA Entertainment staffed on the secret Bulls project during that final championship season.
  
  
• Despite the impact from the coronavirus pandemic, Fitch Ratings gave the senior secured fixed rate bonds for the USTA National Tennis Center an A- rating and all of its other bonds a stable outlook, according to SBJ's Karn Dhingra. Among the reasons cited for the tennis facility's positive outlook:
  
  
  • The tennis facility's strong financial covenants and contractual protections, which protect against revenue losses in case the U.S. Open is canceled.
  • The USTA’s long-term broadcasting agreements, which provide 50% of its pledged revenue.
  • The New York metro area’s solid demographics and large corporate base
  • Securities issued to fund the USTA's strategic transformation plan, which will enhance the fan experience and rehabilitate the facility’s essential infrastructure.
    
    
• What are the voices of college sports doing right now? That's been the focus of an interesting video series titled "Vocal Distancing" from College Sports Now, hosted by Appalachian State's Adam Witten. The most-recent roundup of play-by-play announcers features Don Fischer (Indiana), Neil Price (Mississippi State) and Andy Demetra (Georgia Tech). Among the topics: what they're doing during the shutdown; what Price is in for with Mike Leach taking over the Bulldogs' football program; establishing a presence in a college community; first experiences on the air; and top moments they've called on the air.

The longtime play-by-play announcers dished on a host of topics, including their top moments behind the mic

• ESPN’s Dave McMenamin had some good insight into the Lakers' attempt to open their practice facility. "The Lakers are a bit of a civic trust in the city of Los Angeles," he said on "SportsCenter" yesterday. "And so the mayor's office has been involved with other things that have happened with the team in the past, as recently as February with the memorial for Kobe Bryant and how to deal with the foot traffic, the people descending upon L.A. Live. But they also recognize what’s at play here. You’re talking about close to 500,000 positive cases of the coronavirus in L.A. County, close to 2,000 people have perished, and so they don't want to put their needs above the needs of the general public.”
  
  
• SBJ's David Broughton notes that new research from the National Restaurant Association indicates the industry expects to lose more than $50 billion in sales in April as the "result of the coronavirus-imposed stay-at-home policies and forced closures of restaurant dining rooms.” The industry lost an estimated $30 billion in March. The research was gleaned via a survey of more than 6,500 restaurant operators between April 10-16. Restaurants have experienced the most significant job losses since the outbreak began, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 8 million restaurant employees -- representing two-thirds of the industry -- have been laid off or furloughed since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Dave & Buster's stock has fallen 29% since March 10, the day before the NBA postponed their season. 
   
• Spotify in its recent quarterly earnings report said that while the COVID-19 quarantine has depressed podcast listenership (fewer commuters), it remains bullish on podcasts in the long term. Spotify noted that around 19% of monthly active users listen to podcast content, up from 16% in the prior quarter. Consumption is also growing at triple-digit rates.
  
  
• Kudos to Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer for taking on a new role last night -- bedtime story reader. Knox County Schools posted a video last night of the national championship-winning football coach reading of "Smokey's Journey Through the Volunteer State." Naturally, Fulmer was joined in the video by the Vols' mascot.

Knox County Schools arranged for Phillip Fulmer to read "Smokey's Journey Through the Volunteer State"

   NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  • Fauci: Could Be "Very Difficult" For Major U.S. Sports To Return In '20
  • Optimism Growing In MLB Circles For New Three-Division Plan
  • MLB Clubs To Soon Unveil Ticket Refund Policies For Fans
  • New Scenario Sees NHL Pushing Start Of Next Season To December
  • NASCAR's New Schedule Has Races Mid-Week, Primarily In Southeast
  • LPGA Plans For Restart In July, Pushes Women's PGA To October
  • CFL Asks Federal Government For Up To C$150M To Bolster League
  • MLS Allowing Teams To Make Own Calls On Ticket Refund Policies
  • Rays Furlough Some Staff, Cut Pay For Most Amid Shutdown
  • SBJ Unpacks: Veteran Marketer Ed Horne On Brands Navigating Pandemic
  • Mavericks Continue To Support Front-Line Workers

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • SBJ's Bill King & Mark Burns talk about a path back from this pandemic with a new normal for the sports industry and the potential for fanless games.
  • How are brands navigating the pandemic? What awaits on the other side? Ed Horne, president of creative firm 160over90, shares his thoughts.
  • Kathy Lupia, a leading security and emergency preparedness consultant, discusses ways venues will have to change their procedures after the pandemic.
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
  • 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps talk about the peril facing youth sports programs without federal aid during the pandemic.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The White House today briefed major sports officials on its plan to re-open the country, but there's no clear path back to normalcy yet, as conditions vary wildly from state to state. But the news of the past 24 hours certainly has sparked a level of encouragement that hasn’t been felt since the pandemic hit and sports shut down in mid-March.

In highlights from the most recent news cycle, the MLB season looks like it could be a go in late June or early July with three divisions playing a reduced-travel schedule; college football officials pegged late July as a potential start date for team training camps; and the NBA is talking about re-opening its team practice facilities in the coming weeks. It’s a long way from actual games, but sports leagues are at least putting out some specifics on a relaunch. I’ll take it.

Stay safe, everyone.

--- Michael Smith

NFL WEIGHING PUSHBACK OVER SCHEDULE RELEASE

• A debate is underway inside the NFL over whether to delay publishing the 2020 schedule, SBJ’s Ben Fischer reports. The league says it’s still planning for a release by May 9 (broadcasters expect it two days before that, May 7). But some influential team executives and ticketing industry insiders advise against it, saying it’s inviting trouble to commit to game times without more clarity about the season. With the draft now over, Commissioner Roger Goodell was said to be freshly evaluating the situation this week.
  
  
• Broadcasters and many local sales teams want the schedule, believing it will help with sales efforts to have firm dates to plan around, even with all the contingencies built in. Same goes for team travel planners. But with it now appearing probable that sports will be played before partial capacity-stadiums or no crowds at all, secondary ticket marketplace operators worry about selling games with such a high likelihood of requiring refunds. 
  
  
• Since the pandemic, the NFL has earned positive reviews for maintaining offseason business to the extent possible, particularly last week’s draft. Insiders believe that philosophy will probably continue to hold sway, but Goodell is taking the input seriously. Some have argued that a delay of just a few weeks could greatly help inform league strategy, because they could observe how things are going in the states that are gradually re-opening the economy in May and make better decisions about the fall. 

OPTICS OF MLB PLAYER SALARY DISPUTE "HORRIFIC"

• The logistics of when, where and how MLB starts its 2020 season has been the most well-covered issue facing the league during the pandemic, but just as big an obstacle will be MLB and players' union finding common ground on player salaries. One baseball source tells SBJ's Eric Prisbell that the optics of how this issue gets worked out amid a pandemic could be "horrific" because "against this backdrop, it will look like owners trying to hang on to their money and players are looking to be paid a lot of money." Regardless, the sport is steadily marching toward that potential battle.
  
  
• The issue is how the March agreement between the two sides is interpreted. The MLBPA believes that agreement stipulates that players would be paid on a prorated scale relative to how many games are played. MLB believes the agreement makes clear that it was premised on baseball returning with fans in ballparks. The league also believes that with the increasing likelihood that baseball will return initially without fans, a return to spectator-less ballparks should re-open negotiations over player salaries.
  
  
• MLB contends that spectator-less games would eat into the some 40% of the revenue the league generates from a normal game day (tickets, concessions, parking, etc.). In addition, there is a recognition in baseball circles that even when the medical community gives a green light for fans to return to venues, it may take time for them to feel comfortable doing so. On the player side, the union also will likely have reservations, should plans go forward, for so-called bubble cities in Arizona or Texas or Florida. Even with a shortened season, players could be quarantined away from their families for months. 

NHL JOINS OTHER LEAGUES IN LICENSING PROTECTIVE MASKS

• Until today, if you searched for masks on the Shop.NHL.com site administered by Fanatics, you’d find goalie equipment. Now, the NHL has joined the NBA, NFL, and NCAA through CLC in licensing protective masks during this age of COVID-19, according to SBJ's Terry Lefton. FOCO, which is already selling masks under license to the NBA and NFL, is now selling them with NHL indicia for $24.99 per three-pack, though the site notes that they will ship “no later than Thursday June 11th.” A portion of the proceeds benefit Feeding America and Food Banks Canada.
  
  
• Also new to the mix today is PBR, selling licensed masks from Delaware-based Sew What? on PBRshop.com for $20. For every official PBR mask sold, one will be donated to first responders and other medical personnel.

FOCO, which is already selling masks under license to the NBA and NFL, is now selling them with NHL indicia for $24.99 per three-pack

SOURCES: AHL NEARING DECISION ON SEASON

• A decision about the status of the AHL season is expected to come within the next two weeks, sources tell SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. The league’s board of governors is scheduled to meet for a conference call on May 8 to determine how to proceed amid COVID-19. Typically, the board would be convening around that time for the annual spring meetings.
  
  
• The AP first reported last night that the season is “likely” to be canceled, although sources with knowledge of the situation tell SBJ that no final decision has been reached at this point. “There has been no change to the state of the ‘19-20 AHL season, nor to any expected timelines. Things remain status quo here,” said a league spokesperson.
  
  
• The AHL, which operates as the Triple-A level of North American hockey, issued a prior statement on March 16 advising its clubs that the indefinite suspension of play "will not be lifted before May."

WORKING FROM HOME WITH ZOOMPH’S AMIR ZONOZI

• Zoomph co-Founder & President Amir Zonozi has had his hands full since the social media and digital sponsorship measurement platform began operating remotely. Not only does Zonozi have to oversee the company from a makeshift office in his D.C. home, he and his pregnant wife are also tasked with keeping up with their 2-year-old son on a daily basis. “It took me a while to adapt to this kind of lifestyle,” he said. “From 6:00am to 6:00pm, I was never at home. Now I'm like sort of a guest in the house to their workflow and their style. So, I have to meet their expectations.”
  
  
• Zonozi’s setup includes a desk, monitor, MacBook, iPad and a mic and light for podcasting and videos. “It’s just like a content command center,” he said. Slack is being used by most Zoomph employees for internal communication, and Zoom is usually the choice for calls with clients. Zoomph uses HubSpot for its CRM software and SharePoint for transferring files on the cloud.
  
  
• Zonozi acknowledged it is a difficult time to be selling a product or service. For that reason, Zoomph is sensitive to each client’s situation and has been reaching out simply to see how they can help right now. "It seems like a lot of them are not wanting new partners," he said. "They're looking to engage the current ones that they have.”  If there is one sector of the industry that has been ready to press ahead, though, Zonozi pointed to optimism among partnership teams within the NFL.
  
  
• One thing Zonozi believes will come from this unprecedented period is a change in thinking about working remotely, with workers eventually having more of a choice of whether they want to be in the office or not. “That stigma of people working remotely not getting work done, I think that's going to go away,” he said. “You're going to see more people joining opportunities from different locations.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Zonozi’s setup includes a desk, monitor, Macbook, iPad and a mic and light for podcasting and videos

SPEED READS

• The timing for the start of the college football season has gained a little clarity, according to Stadium's Brett McMurphy. The NCAA Football Oversight Committee has recommended that teams have a six-week training camp before the start of any season. A handful of games begin Week 0 on Aug. 29, with the majority of teams opening Sept. 5. Schools playing Aug. 29 would begin practice around July 20 to get in six weeks of prep work. The committee’s recommendation provides the first real sense of what to expect on the college football calendar, if things keep progressing toward the scheduled start date.
  
  
• While many sports venue construction projects continue around the country, Ohio State is “hitting the pause button on ‘hundreds of millions’ of dollars in construction projects in an effort to preserve financial liquidity” as the fallout from COVID-19 continues, reports Hayleigh Colombo of the Columbus Business First. Among the 11 projects affected on campus is a lacrosse stadium. The work on that venue “will complete design work and then pause to ‘evaluate a future timeline and scope as well as fundraising.’” The stadium project’s cost was pegged at $20 million in the fall.

• Adweek gave high marks to State Farm for its custom ad during “The Last Dance." The spot, which showed Kenny Mayne sitting at a 1998-era “SportsCenter” anchor desk talking about the Bulls documentary that will hit 22 years later, came from ESPN's in-house CreativeWorks team and ad agency Translation. Adweek Creative & Innovation editor David Griner, appearing on the "Yeah, That’s Probably An Ad” podcast, said it was the first ad he’s seen “really blow up Twitter and social media and news coverage since the quarantine era began.” Adweek senior editor Doug Zanger said it was the rare spot that “instills and re-instills that sense of wonder.” Zanger: “We talk about boldness, we talk about being brave. ... That’s a big swing."
  
  
• Count NBC Sports’ Chris Simms among those who think the work-at-home era for NFL front office execs and coaches should “relax the culture” of 20-hour work days. Simms said of the modern NFL, “It’s old-world thinking still. It’s like, ‘In 1974, they stayed in the building till midnight, then they went home.’ But in 1974 they also had to take like six hours to cut up the tape and make a reel to show for it. They were doing a lot of bullshit that didn’t mean they were coaching and getting done the amount that people are getting done now.” Simms said the current situation “might change some people a little bit to relax that culture of ‘I’ve just got to be the last man standing here in the office and then maybe I’ll get a better job because the coach will see me here so late.’”
  
  
• Learfield IMG College has contributed three high-end fan experiences to the All In Challenge being organized by Fanatics, reports SBJ's Michael Smith. The brainchild of Fanatics' Michael Rubin, the challenge raises money for hunger by auctioning fan experiences to all kinds of sporting events. Learfield IMG College donated experiences around Rose Bowl Stadium, as well as for football games involving Michigan-Ohio State and Alabama-Auburn.
  
  
• Next month’s second iteration of “The Match” with Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning taking on Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady will have two distinct advantages over its predecessor: a charitable cause and lowered expectations, per Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport. Rapaport said of the 2018 iteration, “The optics of two guys who have made hundreds of millions of dollars in their career, playing for $9 million that realistically wasn’t theirs -- some people were rubbed the wrong way. But this isn’t for money, this is a response to something that’s happening right now.” 

• South Carolina AD Ray Tanner feels an eventual return to normalcy is inevitable for college athletics, but he’s concerned with the ability to make up for lost time for this year’s spring athletes, even if some elect to return to school next year. He told SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, “We run all kinds of models, you can talk about returning to play models, you can talk about financial models, your fan base. … The thing that always comes back to me is our student-athletes. This is their time. … At the end of the day, from a fan standpoint, attendance, television, play – all of that eventually we get back to where we were. … How about our current student athletes? What are they going to miss? I don’t want them to miss an opportunity. But as each day and each month passes, that’s a big concern.”

   NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • NBA Adjusts Facilities Reopening Date After Execs Express Concerns
  • NHL Continues Discussing Plans For Reopening Team Facilities
  • MLB Could Benefit By Remaining Patient With Return-To-Play Plan
  • Chicago Mayor: Fan-Less Baseball Could Happen In City This Summer
  • MLB Rangers Working With League On Potential Restart Plan
  • NWSL Targeting June Start, Wants To Be First Pro League To Return
  • Tennis Organizations Close To Joint Relief Fund For Players
  • Boston Sports Fans Seeking Ticket Refunds Face Difficulty, Ambiguity
  • Sharks Supporting Part-Time Staffers With New Relief Fund

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • How are brands navigating the pandemic? What awaits on the other side? Ed Horne, president of creative firm 160over90, shares his thoughts.
  • Kathy Lupia, a leading security and emergency preparedness consultant, discusses ways venues will have to change their procedures after the pandemic.
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
  • 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps talk about the peril facing youth sports programs without federal aid during the pandemic.
  • Former American Gaming Association exec Sara Slane discusses the downturn in sports betting during the pandemic.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

During appearances on several radio shows last week, I expressed some skepticism over whether college football will be played this fall. As a parent of two college students who have been distance learning for the past six weeks, I felt there was a good chance they would be under my roof in the fall, too. And if students aren’t allowed on campus, it seems unlikely there will be football games.

My view has changed. Not quite 180 degrees, but I am now more optimistic that students will be back on campus this year. Yesterday, the N.Y. Times printed a column from Brown University President Christina Paxson talking about how campuses “must” re-open in the fall. Earlier on Sunday, USA Today reported that Purdue President Mitch Daniels is pushing to have in-person classes. Today, CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd tweeted out a list of 11 schools that planned to have students on campus this fall.

I still have a lot of questions about whether we’ll see even an abbreviated college football season in 2020. But I feel better about those prospects today than I did yesterday.

Stay safe, everyone..

--- John Ourand

STORIES YOU NEED TO READ

• MLB has told ESPN and Turner execs that it "wants to start negotiating its media rights deals again as soon as this week." The ESPN and Turner deals end after the 2021 season.
  
  
• Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban said he was "caught off guard" by the report that NBA players can return to team facilities in states that have eased stay-at-home restrictions, noting teams have "gotten no guidance from the NBA at this point." 
  
  
• The Lakers have returned approximately $4.6 million in funds they received from a federal program "intended to help small businesses" during the pandemic.

NFL MAKING CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR THE FALL

• When the NFL releases its schedule next month, it will have several wrinkles that will protect its integrity should the league have to shorten its season, according to a story from SBJ's John Ourand & Ben Fischer. It will look like a standard 16-game, 17-week slate, but it will be designed to allow for several steps that could become necessary depending on the state of the pandemic.
  
  
• Some of the contingencies the NFL has considered include delaying the start of the season by up to five weeks, which would push the Super Bowl from Feb. 7 back to Feb. 28. The schedule's planned opening week could be moved wholesale to the end of the season. Another week of games in the early season would feature teams only playing opponents with the same bye week, so that week could be cut and byes eliminated leaguewide. Another idea that has been looked at includes shelving the Pro Bowl and using that off-week before the Super Bowl to play conference championship games.
  
  
• Sources caution that none of the plans are final, and nothing has been ruled out. All parties are aware that the season is still subject to major variables around the spread of the coronavirus by late summer, local regulations and media progress against the disease.

EXTRA DATA NUGGETS ON NFL DRAFT

• The 2020 NFL Draft was easily the league's most-watched draft on record, with ESPN, ABC and NFL Network setting new highs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But what else stood out from a data standpoint?
  
  
  • ESPN Research's Flora Kelly noted that women tuned into Round 1 in a big way -- to the tune of 82% better than the 2019 opening night.
    
    
  • SBJ's Austin Karp notes the Bleacher Report app, fueled by streaming of the first "B/R Gridiron 2020 NFL Draft Show," saw its second-highest day for account creation on Thursday. Then on Friday, the B/R app saw its best day of the year for visits. For all alert opens related to NFL-related content, the app saw a 45% year-over-year increase.
    
    
  • Did it seem like there were a bunch of Verizon ads during the draft? According to an analysis of data from iSpot.tv by SBJ's David Broughton, there were 88 ads from the wireless carrier during the three days of the draft for a total of 43 minutes and 15 seconds.

JMI SPORTS SHIFTING FOCUS TO SILICON VALLEY

• Erik Judson, the CEO & co-founder of JMI Sports, was the subject of the AD Intel podcast hosted Dan Gale and talked about about moving to Silicon Valley, campuswide marketing and San Diego State’s stadium project: 

• On moving to Silicon Valley: “We have to be looking forward. We can't just do business the same way. As we’ve looked around the country for places to grow our business, we came to what I believe is really the right conclusion that Silicon Valley is in a place in the history of commerce that's unique. Never in mankind have so many businesses with such enormous resources and such enormous growth been within 20 square miles. These are companies who have yet to really engage with the collegiate marketplace. And it's hard. It's complicated. It's not a traditional sale. So we came to the conclusion that actually inserting ourselves, by me moving up here ... that we would best position ourselves to bring new dollars to our partners. ... If you look at the prospect list and the conversations we have going here, it's pretty astonishing.”

• On campuswide marketing deals at Clemson and Kentucky: “People have been talking about this for a long time. Jim Host had total campus marketing on his website 20 years ago and he's been a great inspiration to us. It's hard work. On campus, there are a lot more people who could say no, a lot more hurdles to overcome, so it's proved actually to be more difficult than we originally anticipated, but absolutely worth the effort.”
  
  
• On working with Legends to manage San Diego State’s new $300 million football stadium build: “We’re looking at how we can help our partner schools with innovative ways to develop their sports facilities ... and drive revenue. We've got a great project right now in San Diego State where we’re going to deliver a solution to them. That was kind of unfathomable not long ago. That's a solution that they need and we want to be in the solutions business.”

WHAT WILL SPORTS VENUE SAFETY/SECURITY PROCEDURES LOOK LIKE?

• Fans have grown accustomed to metal detectors, bag checks and the idea that a tiny Swiss Army Knife on your keychain likely will get you turned away at the gate. But what if that metal detector also took your temperature? What if contact tracing allowed public health officials to alert the venue that someone recently had been in contact with the virus? How will an arena or stadium operator handle that in this new and uncharted security environment? And is it even possible to get thousands of people in and out if they have to be kept at least six feet apart?
  
  
• Those are some of the questions stadium and arena security consultants are considering as they think ahead toward all that would be required to safely re-open, if and when municipalities eventually allow it. “Think about the crush at the gate,” said Kathy Lupia, legal risk manager at Petrone Risk, a leading security and emergency preparedness consulting firm. “Now we have to add some sort of medical component or variation of medical component which likely is going to consider including temperature checking and tracing of where those individuals have been."
  
  
• She added: "If we’re talking about the design aesthetics of how we’re going to get people through, we also have to talk about what methodology we’re going to use and staffing we’re going to need. How are people going to be handled when turned away? How are security measures going to be put in place to de-escalate people who have been quarantined for all this time who want to be active. And how are we going to do it in a way that the staff remains healthy and safe while escorting these people out?”
  
  
• Lupia explored those issues and others related to safety, security and business continuity with SBJ’s Bill King on today’s episode of the SBJ Unpacks podcast.

MANY MEDIA/TECH COMPANIES PLAN TO RECONFIGURE WORK SETTINGS

• Some 65% of CFOs at tech, media and telecommunications companies plan to reconfigure work sites to promote physical distancing, according SBJ's David Broughton, citing a new industry survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The data suggest that these companies are more likely than other business sectors to be preparing for a future in which virtual work options gain greater acceptance over traditional office settings. PwC has fielded a comparable study of 300+ CFOs and finance leaders in the U.S. every other week dating back to March 9.
  
  
• “Many business leaders are turning to new technologies and digital solutions to help them adapt and maintain social distancing, which will likely be a new normal for the foreseeable future,” said PwC Chief Clients Officer Amity Millhiser.

Download the PwC Workplace Survey

HBO'S "REAL SPORTS" RETURNS WITH COVID-19 FOCUSED HOUR

• HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” returns for its 25th season tomorrow night with A-list appearances from Jim Nantz, Joe Buck and Mike Breen.  HBO VP/Sports Production Joe Perskie, an executive producer on the show since 1999, told SBJ’s Thomas Leary that the production team had to “reinvent the way we do everything” to pull off the episode. Perskie: “We had to do our interviews via webcam, which meant that our correspondents had to learn how to film themselves with camera equipment --with the lighting -- how to record files and send them here and there. Lot of boring technical stuff, but it’s the meat and potatoes of what needs to be done behind the scenes. Every single little thing that you never even think of and you take for granted after all these years, suddenly becomes a major issue.”

• Gumbel approached Perskie with the idea of a Nantz-Buck-Breen episode to provide a sense of normalcy for viewers. Perskie: “These are the three voices we’re used to hearing narrate the world of sports, and they’ve effectively been silenced. They’ll shed a lot of light on where they see sports going, and what their experiences have been like.” See tomorrow’s issue of The Daily for more from Perskie on the show’s 25-year run.

Gumbel recruited three of the most famous play-by-play men for the 2020 premiere of "Real Sports"

WORKING FROM HOME WITH OCTAGON’S DANIEL COHEN

• Octagon Senior VP/Global Media Rights Consulting Daniel Cohen was put in the precarious position of converting his living room/open kitchen to a workspace after his wife won the battle for their upstairs office when both transitioned to working remotely. Now that Cohen has a handle on things, his day is all about time zones, typically kicking off early with clients in Asia. “I schedule the same for Europe and MENA (Middle East & North Africa) across the middle parts of the morning, before locking in with our U.S. and Americas clients the rest of the day,” he said.
  
  
• Client meetings can be across a number of platforms -- Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp or WeChat. Cohen’s focus for most partners has certainly shifted from the norm. “I am spending less time buried in ratings, viewership, and network data, and a lot more time analyzing government health mandates, TMT market impact research, regionalized consumer behavior data, and contextualizing media rights agreements,” he said.
  
  
• Cohen has appreciated connecting over video chats, where he has become famous for his creative backgrounds. “Getting a peek into the home life of your client or negotiating partner humanizes the business in ways like never before,” he said. Octagon’s virtual happy hours have been a bright spot for him, as well. Cohen: “Two things you shouldn’t have to do alone, drink and Excel.” Seeing Octagon Exec VP Woody Thompson’s basement or what’s in CMO Lisa Murray’s wine glass after 6:00pm have been a few of Cohen’s favorite interactions so far.
  
  
• Being quarantined in N.Y. is certainly a different experience than some other cities. Cohen: “Every day at 7:00pm the outside quiet of the working hours awakens to a throng of cheers, banging pots, and a lot of Frank Sinatra’s 'New York, New York' being blasted from homes.” Meanwhile, Cohen is getting plenty of exercise “curling the coffee maker and opening the refrigerator door several times a day.” His best advice? “Don’t let the laundry pile up to the point where you don’t have any clean socks to wear.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Cohen has appreciated connecting over video chats, where he has become famous for his creative backgrounds

SPEED READS 

• NBC has a big window of programming where the Olympics would have been this summer. One potential option, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, is hockey. “The NHL is looking to finish out the regular season and award a Stanley Cup," Kaplan told "SportsCenter" over the weekend. "They know that staging games in July and August is really attractive to their TV partner NBC because the Tokyo Olympics have been (postponed) and that window is wide open.” She added: “In the current model, the NHL is looking at returning to four hub cities, but that’s all contingent on whether they get the OK from multiple health authorities and governments.” Kaplan: “Nothing can happen until the U.S. and Canada border is open.”
  
  
• Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel writes under the header, "Here's Hoping The 2020 NFL Draft Serves As A Model For The Future. Here's Guessing It Won't." The draft's record viewership was "not solely because the nation was sports-starved and quarantined." It "found a way to connect the public and its favorite sport in a way no marketing campaign, fireworks display, red carpet or Roger Goodell bro hug ever could." But while the down-home draft "proved to be of great merit, the NFL will likely remain addicted to mass gatherings." Wetzel: "This is a league, after all, where more is never less." 

• Matthew McConaughey has been keeping up with his Minister of Culture duties at the Univ. of Texas while quarantined at home in Austin. The Oscar winner participates in weekly chats via Zoom and Skype with athletes looking to stay mentally fresh amid the uncertain futures of their seasons. McConaughey told the “Horns 247” podcast, “It’s a way of me staying connected. If I can help someone out, help them last another day -- another week, there we go. … Coming out of this with the disruption that all these players and coaches have had … the mental side is going to be more important than ever before.” McConaughey was also skeptical of when the Longhorns can pack Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium again. “I don’t see 100,000 people feeling good about gathering together. … That’s a tough pill to swallow but it could be a reality.”

• Longtime golf writer Geoff Shackelford argued a fanless Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in September could give the event a chance to “trim back the excess” of recent iterations, citing the passionate crowds at Hazeltine in 2016. Shackelford: “Alcohol is served too early … the events are generally oversold and the fans get more easily annoyed at Ryder Cups because there’s so little golf to actually see. … Resetting the matches with a focus on playing for the sake of putting on an exhibition, of sportsmanship … would be really, really wise.”

• The Cape Cod League, which is college baseball's premier summer league, voted to cancel the league this year. The league, founded in 1923, has operated continuously since 1946. League president Chuck Sturtevant told the Cape Cod Times: "It was a tough decision, and thank God it was unanimous by all 10 teams, because they’re the ones that run the league." D1Baseball.com notes that not having a Cape season "adds to the sudden, difficult nature of scouting" for MLB teams. Each summer, the Cape "serves as the primary point of reference for scouts entering the fall and spring seasons."

   NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • MLB, Union's Talks Over Financial Split Reportedly Stagnant
  • Cuomo: Baseball Games This Summer Without Fans A Possibility
  • Newly Formed NHL Committee Vets Possible Return Scenarios
  • Cuban "Caught Off Guard" By NBA Team Facilities Opening Up
  • Crew Laying Off Some Staff, Making Pay Cuts To Save Money
  • Survey Reveals Teams May Be Inconsistent Helping Employees
  • UFC To Host Three Fights In Jacksonville In May Without Fans
  • Venues May Need Renovations To Adhere To Social Distancing Rules
  • Bundesliga's Upcoming Return To Serve As Model For Global Soccer
  • NorCal Sports Unite To Produce Masks For Community

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Kathy Lupia, a leading security and emergency preparedness consultant, discusses ways venues will have to change their procedures after the pandemic.
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
  • 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps talk about the peril facing youth sports programs without federal aid during the pandemic.
  • Former American Gaming Association exec Sara Slane discusses the downturn in sports betting during the pandemic.
  • SBJ's Bill King, Eric Prisbell & John Lombardo discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how it can have an impact on the sports industry.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The NFL Draft is, of course, the sports story of the day, straddling the fence between the pandemic impact news that has rightfully occupied most of our attention and the traditional sports news that we’ve so dearly missed. Not surprisingly, the first-round ratings returns were boffo (see figures below). A record across ABC, ESPN and NFL Network last night, besting the prior record fueled by Johnny Manziel in 2014. Interest may wane slightly for Round 2-3 tonight and plummet back to the draftnik fringe tomorrow, but it’s not like there’s much competition.

There will be other live sports, though. This weekend brings the resumption of one of the last North American based pro sports properties to pull its plug in deference to the global health emergency, as Professional Bull Riders puts on an event about 30 miles north of Oklahoma City.

Expect the major pro leagues and tours to be watching closely as the PBR endeavors to create a self-contained outpost that will house about 140 people -- riders, stock providers, medical and support staff and TV crews -- who will be screened for COVID-19 on entry and stay through the weekend, sleeping in RVs.

Which rider wins will be of minimal interest to the broader sports business. How the logistics flow, and whether the PBR emerges healthy and with its reputation whole, could weigh heavily as others contemplate a path back. There’s a parallel between the draft and bucking bulls that’s worth noting. Gaming regulators in New Jersey who approved a vastly expanded menu of bets on the draft also will allow sportsbooks to take bets on the PBR this weekend.

So if you’re at home in Hoboken tomorrow and tired of waiting to see how many offensive linemen go in Rounds 4-7, there’s always Jose Vitor Leme, who oddsmaker Jay Rood (of Bet.works) has favored to win Round 1 in OKC.

Sorry, but you can’t bet on the bulls.

--- Bill King

FIRST ROUND DELIVERS RECORD NUMBERS FOR ESPN, ABC, NFL NET

• The NFL Draft saw record first-round viewership last night across ESPN, ABC and NFL Network, with those three networks averaging 15.3 million viewers on TV alone, SBJ's Austin Karp reports. That figure is up from 11.1 million viewers last year. The previous Round 1 record was 12.4 million viewers on ESPN/NFL Net in 2014, when Johnny Manziel fell to the Browns. When ESPN Deportes (19,000 viewers) and streaming figures are included, the first round averaged 15.6 million viewers. 
  
  
• Broken down by network, ESPN led the way last night with 7.86 million viewers, while ABC averaged 5.69 million and NFL Network averaged 1.72 million. Coverage peaked from 8:45-9:00pm ET last night across all three networks. Ohio was a hotbed for draft viewing last night, with Columbus, Cleveland-Akron and Cincinnati taking the top three spots in local ratings among all U.S. markets. Philadelphia and Kansas City rounded out the top five. Among markets that saw the biggest gains, Atlanta led the way (+59%), followed by Denver (+55%), Philadelphia (52%) and Boston (52%).

BURROW, BOSE, COWBOYS AMONG SOCIAL MEDIA VALUE WINNERS

• Joe Burrow delivered the most social media value among all first-round picks in last night’s NFL Draft, followed by CeeDee Lamb and Jeff Okudah, according to SBJ's Austin Karp after an analysis of data from social audience intelligence firm Zoomph. Looking at player metrics generated from social content via player-owned handles and mentions of player handles/names, Burrow had a social value of $2.21 million last night, based on 134.7 million impressions, 1.6 million engagements and just over 11,000 organic posts. Lamb, no doubt fueled by his Cowboys selection, was No. 2 with a social value of $1.45 million, while Okudah had $811,495. Rounding out the top five players on social were Tua Tagavailoa and Jedrick Wills.
  
  
• Among brands last night, Bose had the top social media value through their partnership with the league and players like Burrow. Coming in at No. 2 was Miller Lite, who sponsored the Cowboys’ official tweet announcing Lamb’s selection, a post which had a social value of $51,422.
  
  
• On the team side, the Cowboys topped all teams with $847,772 in social media value last night. The team was followed by an NFC East rival – the Eagles – with $703,124 in value, and then the Broncos at $617,066.

Download the NFL Draft 1st Round Social Value

HURRICANES OWNER WARY OF GAMES WITHOUT FANS 

• Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon isn’t a fan of the NHL not having at least some fans in attendance when the 2020-21 season begins, reports SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. Dundon, who appeared on Raleigh’s ESPN Radio affiliate this afternoon, was asked a hypothetical: if this current season resumes in July, is it OK to impact the start of next year? 

• Dundon: "Everyone has to be careful ... because I think you need fans. If it means pushing back the start of the season for any sport, then they should consider that. What’s the point of having sports if you don’t have fans, right? They wouldn’t exist. They’d be called the YMCA. I would think it’s a pretty good idea to push it back as long as you need to, to make sure you have your buildings occupied, whether that’s 100% or 50%. ... I don’t know why anyone would want to start a new league season with no fans, but my vote doesn’t count for much.”

• Is it acceptable to have no fans in attendance if and when the current season resumes? Dundon: “I think so, because we were 70% of the way through, especially the playoffs, you get a lot more ratings, it’s more of a national event. Given there’s less going on, you have a bigger platform. I think when you’ve invested what everybody has invested to get through 75, 80% of the season, you’d want to finish it. That’s very different to me than starting something fresh with no fans.” 

MINNEAPOLIS MISSES OUT ON FINAL X GAMES EVENT

• ESPN this afternoon announced that X Games Minneapolis 2020, scheduled for July 17-19, is canceled. This would have been the fourth consecutive year that Minneapolis hosted the event under a pair of two-year agreements, per SBJ's Chris Smith. There are no plans to reschedule in Minneapolis, and ESPN is finalizing negotiations for a new host city for next year’s event.

• The Minneapolis event was the last stop on this year’s X Games calendar. Winter events in Aspen and Norway were held earlier this year, but two events in China -- X Games Chongli (Feb. 21-23) and X Games Shanghai (May 30-31) -- were called off. An ESPN spokesperson said that the network will seek opportunities to conduct other live competitions later this year, provided that they can be hosted safely and in accordance with government regulations, and that ESPN will continue to release action sports content, like its “Real Series,” through digital platforms.

THE WEEK THAT WAS IN COLLEGE SPORTS

• This week provided more stark examples of how the coronavirus is impacting the business of college athletics, with furloughs, pay reductions and budget slashing becoming more common. Louisville took the biggest cost-savings move to date by eliminating 40 positions and sending 45 more employees on a 60-day unpaid furlough. Boise State’s coaches were swept up in university furloughs as long as 10 days. Conferences outside of the Power 5, meanwhile, are looking at unique scheduling arrangements that would help schools save money.

• The economic impact extends beyond the schools to the companies they do business with, SBJ’s Michael Smith writes. Van Wagner, which has more than 30 mid-major schools, and JMI Sports, a smaller agency that works with a handful of blue-chip schools, say they haven’t had to eliminate positions. In fact, JMI has stayed aggressive by adding staff over the past 5-6 weeks, CEO Erik Judson said.

• Given the lost spring sports schedule and the uncertainty surrounding football-related revenue this fall, JMI and Van Wagner have found themselves in regular conversations with their schools and sponsors about how to move forward. Judson said JMI is “working with its schools to mitigate potential shortfalls." He added, "We are going through what impacts might exist and how to address them.” Van Wagner Exec VP Mike Palisi: “There are so many moving parts, but ‘fair’ is the word that keeps coming up for both sides.”

NEW JOBS, SPONSOR CATEGORIES COULD EMERGE POST-PANDEMIC

• There will be a new normal once sports opens up again for fans, and TeamWork Online has an unprecedented listing that gives a glimpse at one possible new position -- "COVID-19 screener," notes SBJ's Terry Lefton. What’s listed as a part-time position in Minneapolis pays between $20 and $30 per hour. Will this become a routine job? And who would risk holding this position?
  
  
• On the sponsorship side of things, everyone is looking for "anything that looks like an emerging category" said SponsorUnited Founder & President Bob Lynch, adding that the most-searched categories from his subscriber base of sports properties are healthcare, equipment, supplies & distribution; clinics and labs/specialty services. There also is the relatively obscure peanut butter category, prompted by the Celtics' recent sponsorship deal with Teddie Natural Peanut Butter.

PANDEMIC LEADS FITCH TO DOWNGRADE DEL MAR BONDS

• Fitch Ratings downgraded Del Mar Race Track Authority’s $39.9 million in revenue bonds that were issued in 2015 to BB- from BBB -- and has revised their rating of the venue to negative from stable. The credit ratings agency cited the accelerated decline of California’s horse racing industry during the pandemic, the loss of 20-30% of the venue’s net concession revenues from the postponement of the San Diego County Fair and the high likelihood that disruptions of race-day events will continue into the year.

• If the race track does not get support from a third party, the facility’s financial viability will be in jeopardy, according to Fitch.The agency forecasts that Del Mar’s horse-racing operations will cease to be self-supporting starting in 2025.

1HUDDLE INCREASES ROSTER, GAMEPLAY WITH FREE OFFER

• 1Huddle, a mobile and online learning platform for ticket sales and gameday staff, has doubled its roster of teams after announcing it would let organizations use its program for free during the coronavirus pandemic, per SBJ's Karn Dhingra. The company, whose roster includes Legends Hospitality, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, MSG, the Dodgers, Lightning andNets, has 40 organizations using the platform and has seen a 303% increase in gameplay, Founder & CEO Sam Caucci told SBJ. 

• Since the pandemic moved teams to work from home, 46,839 games have been played and 1,300 hours of new training time have completed virtually, Caucci said. The platform allows teams to customize their training modules and is a way to keep employees connected, excited and motivated, Caucci added.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH BELLATOR PRESIDENT SCOTT COKER

• Bellator MMA President Scott Coker has been quarantining at his family’s home in San Jose since the week of March 15. The Paramount-owned promotion’s last fight was on Feb. 22 in Ireland, and now Coker is hopeful to get back in the octagon in July or August, most likely on a soundstage on the Paramount or CBS lot in Hollywood. “We're planning on building out a combat sports, made-for-TV set. In addition to Bellator filming there, we would be sharing the closed set with Showtime boxing,” he said. The plan for the ViacomCBS properties would likely see alternating fights on Fridays and Saturdays.
  
  
• Coker has enjoyed the time in his backyard office, where he usually spends 3-4 hours a day on various Zoom calls. “In the 20 years I've owned the house, I've probably spent a handful of times back there and now I go out there every day to work and just be outside. … It’s been a little bit of a reset for me.” He has appreciated being at home as his normal schedule usually calls for travel most weekends.
  
  
• Bellator put on four events this year before the sports shutdown and is still aiming to complete its full slate of about 30 fights by the end of 2020. While Coker believes fighting is well-positioned to be one of the first sports back, he won’t rush anything. “We're going to make sure that we have the ability to … get all the testing done properly because there'll be some type of protocol,” he said.
  
  
• Coker’s main advice for others working from home is to get outside. “Get that fresh air and sunshine on you and it makes a difference,” he said. “If you're inside all day and all night and you're just Netflix-ing all day, 24/7, I think I'd go a little bit crazy.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Coker has enjoyed the time in his backyard office, where he usually spends 3-4 hours a day on various Zoom calls

SPEED READS 

• NBC Sports Chicago’s Nick Gismondi believes NHL fans are “going to start to hear a little more” about Las Vegas as a potential host site to resume the regular season. Gismondi on the “Blackhawks Talk” podcast said, “You’ve got an unbelievable two-sheet practice facility -- the Knights’ practice facility in Summerlin, 20 minutes away from T-Mobile Arena. You’ve got completely empty and totally sanitized hotels sitting empty right now within walking distance of T-Mobile Arena. Then they’re almost finished on another two-sheet facility in Henderson. So you’ve got these ramped up NHL practice facilities, basically four sheets of NHL practice ice, plus an arena, plus empty hotels all sanitized all within a really close proximity.”
  
  
• Aramark is looking to raise capital during the global coronavirus pandemic, notes SBJ's Karn Dhingra. The concessionaire is offering $1.5 billion in senior unsecured notes with a 6.375% interest rate that mature in 2025. Aramark said it plans to use the net proceeds from the notes offering for general corporate purposes.

• SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference has formed a new medical advisory group made up of schools’ athletic trainers and sports medicine doctors, as well as outside medical professionals including infectious disease researchers, to help better understand the pandemic fallout. Sankey told SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, “We cross-pollinated it in a way we never would have had to. That’s part of the learning experience for me, but also part of how we have to adapt our leadership and our decision-making to bring more people in.” The group will hold its first meeting Tuesday.

• Golf Digest's Joel Beall goes deep on how the PGA Tour come June 11 can go about "scaling down its operations to meet these unassailable, and uncompromising, new parameters." The entire Tour experience is being "recalibrated during the coronavirus pandemic." That includes "who is working the events -- from Tour staff, tournament officials and volunteers -- and what their roles may be." It involves a "review of the elements of a modern-day tour event, ranging from tracking scoring data to hosting pro-ams, to determine what are considered vital to running an event and what are deemed comforts."

• Edmonton-based PCL Construction has partnered with WZMH Architects, Microsoft and Camillion Corp. to create a mobile virus testing center, SBJ’s David Broughton reports.

PCL Construction has partnered with WZMH Architects, Microsoft and Camillion Corp. to create a mobile virus testing center

 NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Roger Goodell Celebrates Smooth Start To Virtual NFL Draft
  • Virtual NFL Draft Gives Fans Look Inside Coaches', Execs' Homes
  • N.C. Officials Examining Proposals For NASCAR Return At Charlotte
  • NHL Vetting Up To 12 Cities For Potential Return
  • PBR Resuming This Weekend In Oklahoma With No Fans
  • Source: FC Dallas To Enact Two-Month Pay Cuts Of 20% On Staff
  • Penguins Players, Brass Call Ticket Holders To Provide Reassurance
  • Brewers' First Virtual Happy Hour Successfully Engages Fans
  • Kentucky Derby Going Virtual In May For Coronavirus Relief

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Ben Fischer and John Ourand recap the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
  • 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps talk about the peril facing youth sports programs without federal aid during the pandemic.
  • Former American Gaming Association exec Sara Slane discusses the downturn in sports betting during the pandemic.
  • SBJ's Bill King, Eric Prisbell & John Lombardo discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how it can have an impact on the sports industry.
  • ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman discusses the network’s NFL Draft plans.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The most highly anticipated NFL draft in the history of the league will provide the first whiff of normalcy in the sports world in five weeks -- a major sporting event carried out on the date and time as scheduled.

Still, in a sign of the times, announcers, reporters and team officials will be working remotely tonight, presenting ABC/ESPN and NFL Network with the challenge of integrating all of the disjointed parts into one seamless broadcast.

Cincinnati, you’re on the clock.

-- Michael Smith

LEARFIELD IMG COLLEGE FEELS THE PINCH

• Learfield IMG College is in the process of notifying its 200 school and conference partners this week that it will be 60 days late making its rights fee payment, SBJ’s Michael Smith reports. 
  
  
• The company also has initiated talks with schools and conferences about:
  
  
  • Reducing the amount owed because of canceled events in the winter and spring, which gave Learfield IMG College no games to sell against.
    
    
  • Shifting from the traditional guaranteed rights fee model to a revenue-share model. Maintaining a model that guarantees a rights fee when there is no guarantee of games played should no longer “apply to our commercial partnerships,” the company said in a statement to SBJ.

• Without March Madness, spring sports or a stable economy, Learfield IMG College has had to “unwind more than $75 million of sponsorship agreements and ticket sales, leading to make-good conversations with thousands of brand partners,” the company said. “We are working with our partners on the right ways to operate together in highly uncertain, volatile times.”

• Most of the athletic directors contacted this week expressed mild concern about the late payments. The bigger issue is whether the football season is canceled or shortened, which would hamper Learfield IMG College’s ability to generate revenue from sponsorship sales. Even before the coronavirus hit, Learfield IMG College’s credit rating had been downgraded by Moody’s, which cited lower-than-expected sponsorship revenue.

COUNTDOWN TO VIRTUAL NFL DRAFT

• An NFL Draft unlike any other is upon us, hosted, as always by Commissioner Roger Goodell -- this time, from the basement of his home. Microsoft Teams will replace war rooms. Live streams and social media posts will replace draft parties. Advertisers will flock to what almost certainly will be the most watched sport telecast since the Super Bowl. SBJ NFL writer Ben Fischer joins Bill King to set you up for tonight’s telecast on a pre-draft edition of the SBJ Unpacks podcast, available here.

• Meanwhile, SBD goes deep on the social media habits of the NFL Draft class. Among the findings? This year's class has been deleting posts, indicating an elevated sense of awareness of the impact that old posts can have on potential draft stock; 82% of this year’s draft class deleted at least 1 social media post.

SOURCE: MLB COULD ALLOW "SMALL GATHERINGS" OF FANS LATER IN SEASON

• MLB is discussing a middle-ground scenario that would entail a small gathering of fans attending games later in the truncated season and adhering to appropriate and necessary social distancing guidelines throughout each ballpark, a league source told SBJ's Eric Prisbell. It's important to stress that no one has the expectation that MLB will begin a season under those conditions; the almost universal belief is that when and if MLB starts its season, it will be in spectator-less venues. Allowing a select group of fans to attend games later in the season would be part of a phasing-in process. But, the source cautioned, MLB -- and sports in general -- is a long way from that because developments change daily.
  
  
• The MLB source confirmed a CBS Sports report that one idea being discussed is opening the season with games in three locations: Arizona, Dallas and Florida. The source also did not rule out the possibility of using other MLB markets for teams to play true home games, albeit with no spectators, later in the season if those cities re-open for business at that point. But clearly too many variables exist now related to the availability of testing and the rate of spread in most markets to assess the feasibility of that idea. 

MLB-MiLB NEGOTIATIONS ENTER STRETCH RUN

• The most important part of the statement released this morning regarding the MLB-MiLB negotiations was that it was jointly issued by both parties, per SBJ's Eric Prisbell. This was the first public indication supporting what multiple sources say: That the negotiations over a new Professional Baseball Agreement, which grew increasingly contentious over the past several months, are nearing the finish line. The expectation still is that MiLB will agree to eliminate 40 affiliated teams (down from 160). One important order of business that will remain is for both parties to try to preserve baseball in those 40 markets; those details are still to be worked out.

STATUS OF LEAGUES ACROSS THE U.S.

• Plans for returning to competitive action are beginning to materialize for several sports leagues, including the PGA Tour, NASCAR and IndyCar, writes SBJ's Bret McCormick. But questions of how to proceed without fans abound, and many more remain suspended with their 2020 seasons in limbo.
  
  
• Listed below is a snapshot of some major sports leagues/organizations and where they currently stand with regard to the resumption of play.
  
  
• For in-depth details on where each league stands and their current plans for re-starting, check out this link on SBJ’s website.

Download the Status of Sports Leagues

WORKING FROM HOME WITH BUCKS EXEC JAMIE MORNINGSTAR

• Bucks Senior VP/Ticket Sales & Service Jamie Morningstar has been continuing her department’s efforts from her home just 10 minutes away from Fiserv Forum, stationed in the family’s “craft room” that normally serves as an art sanctuary for her three children (ages 4, 2 ½ and 7 months). “It’s the best of both worlds!” she said. Morningstar and her husband take turns watching the kids while the other focuses on work, and she said they have found a “silver lining” in the fact that they get to spend so much time together while the kids are still young.
  
  
• The current climate is certainly not optimal for ticket sales, but Morningstar isn’t discouraged. “This is a great exercise in working through things that might be out of our control,” she said. “If we can see success during this time, we can accomplish anything. Our reps are still actively engaging our members and prospective members. It’s been extremely important to us to maintain contact so that they know we are here for them.” Morningstar added, “We are also working hard on developing our team. This is a great time to focus on fine tuning our skill set and focus on the fundamentals. There are so many possible scenarios that could become reality.”
  
  
• Morningstar said it has actually been a little easier to get her work done -- with one caveat: “Staying on schedule is sometimes at the whim of some very curious kiddos!” She has enjoyed the extra time available to exercise and be with her family, though. “I have realized how important it is to take care of yourself both mentally and physically,” she said. “Without a positive attitude and the discipline to get going every day, we won’t be ready once we are back to the new normal.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Morningstar and her husband have been taking turns watching the kids while the other focuses on work

SPEED READS

• Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin last night helped raise money to support COVID-19 relief as they squared off in EA Sports' "NHL 20" live on the Capitals' Twitch channel, SBJ’s Mark J. Burns notes. Both Gretzky and Ovechkin matched fans’ donations, bringing the total amount raised to $41,041.67. The live stream reached over 286,000 viewers, and it included peak concurrent viewers at 26,642. The airing will be cut down into an hour-long event and is scheduled for broadcast on NBCSN on April 28 (5-6 pm ET) and NHL Network on April 30 (7-8 pm ET), though that is subject to change.

• The second iteration of “The Match” will see Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson bring on Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for a two-on-two charity match next month, and the podcast crew at Barstool Sports’ “Fore Play” are all for it. Trent Ryan: “All the naysayers for ‘The Match’ the first time around were mad about production. They were mad about the commentators. Not enough banter. Now we just need anything. Look at the buildup for ‘The Last Dance’ on Sunday. … Now we’re talking about actual live sports.” Frankie Borrelli: “Woods is going to be playing golf on TV. I’m in. The Peyton stuff, the Tom Brady stuff -- that’s all just extra.”

• Digiday cites sources as saying that over the past six weeks, a number of sports publishers, including CBS Sports, USA Today Sports and Minute Media, "have either pitched or discussed pitching advertisers different ad programs that combine either those publishers’ audiences, media, production capabilities and content." 

• Allied Esports Entertainment has netted increased registration and participation for its online offerings amid the pandemic. Players registering at ClubWPT, an interactive division of the in-person World Poker Tour, for the first time between March 1 and April 10 increased 148% compared to 2019. ClubWPT revenue is also up 33% over the same time period. 

• New Jersey-based PGA of America pro Keith Stewart tells SBJ's Thomas Leary that he strongly believes golf will be the first sport to return. But he also worries about what that return will mean for smaller brands and organizations in the industry.  "Not everyone is going to come back from this 'Great Reset,'" he said. "Many golf industry professionals work at facilities that were excluded from the PPP funding due to the facility's tax status." 

 NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Sources: NHL Wants To Finish Regular Season Before Playoffs
  • NBPA President Chris Paul Trying To Keep Fellow Players Informed
  • Endeavor Could See Revenue Boost With Pro European Soccer Return
  • Louisville Cuts Athletic Staff In Attempt To Cover $15M Shortfall
  • Having "Fully Recovered" From Coronavirus, Dolan Helping Others
  • Sources: ESPN Wants Free Broadcast Rights To Korean Baseball League
  • Uninterrupted Working With Soccer Properties For FIFA 20 Tourney
  • Knicks Launch Instagram Initiative To Salute Coronavirus Heroes

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Bill King and Ben Fischer preview the NFL Draft through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps talk about the peril facing youth sports programs without federal aid during the pandemic.
  • Former American Gaming Association exec Sara Slane discusses the downturn in sports betting during the pandemic.
  • SBJ's Bill King, Eric Prisbell & John Lombardo discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how it can have an impact on the sports industry.
  • ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman discusses the network’s NFL Draft plans.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

With the start of earnings season, we’re beginning to get the first numbers that show how much coronavirus is affecting business. AT&T went this morning and said the pandemic had a $435 million impact on its earnings.

In an internal memo, Fox announced a plan to cut salaries of execs who report to Lachlan Murdoch by 50%. According to the memo, from May 1 to July 31, Fox execs -- VPs and above -- will have their salaries cut 15%. Meanwhile, one-third of Endeavor employees will face layoffs, pay cuts or furloughs, according to a report in Variety.

In a bit of good news, the NCAA’s chief medical officer, Dr. Brian Hainline, said he was “cautiously optimistic” that there would be fall sports on campus. My takeaway from that remark: full recovery could take awhile. But a recovery is coming. That includes plans announced tonight by Turner Sports for a charity two-on-two golf event next month featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, with all donations and fundraising to benefit COVID-19 relief.

Stay safe, everyone.

-- John Ourand

NFL TEAMS GET FLEXIBILITY ON DIGITAL CONTENT DURING DRAFT

• Teams will have more freedom to stream their own live content during the NFL Draft than in past years, a recognition by league officials that teams can’t rely on in-person events to deliver value to their sponsors and fans during the pandemic, SBJ’s Ben Fischer reports. Teams will now be permitted to live-stream for 30 minutes during the broadcast window on Thursday night, and for 60 minutes on Friday and Saturday, sources said. That’s up from 15 minutes daily in prior years.
  
  
• Usually, team-led “draft parties” are in-person events -- usually at their stadium, a partner bar or at the draft itself -- where the focal point is the national broadcast. But this year, those parties have all shifted online, where there is much more natural tension between the teams’ need for original content and the league’s interest in driving viewership for NFL Network, ESPN and ABC. Outside of the broadcast windows, there are no restrictions on team live-streaming.
  
  
• One team source described the new draft rules as “nice to have,” but not significant drivers of new value. It’s more about reinforcing relationships with existing sponsors and enhancing the fan experience. More generally during the pandemic, sources said, the league has given teams more flexibility with owned media, allowing them to rebroadcast old games locally, easing some other restrictions on social, and connecting teams with vendors. One example on the draft specifically: The NFL is helping connect teams with colleges to collaborate on content about prospects and draft picks.

NFL DRAFT GIVES AD SALES WIN TO NETWORK PARTNERS

• The TV ad sales market has cratered during the pandemic, but ABC and ESPN have found success with this week's NFL Draft, reports SBJ's John Ourand. The ad sales group at Disney said more than 100 brands have signed up to advertise during the three-day telecast, including 60 brands that have never advertised before during the event.
  
  
• Disney is reporting a double-digit, year-over-year increase in revenue compared to last year’s draft. The most active sectors are computers, insurance, gardening and media. One new category: home workshop. Lowe’s signed up to be presenting sponsor of the ESPN and NFL Network telecasts (a simulcast airs on those networks). ABC will produce a unique production. Verizon is sponsor of "Prospect Cam"; Pizza Hut is sponsor of "Draft Moment"; and Bud Light Seltzer is sponsor of the "Virtual Huddle."

NASCAR'S STEVE PHELPS PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN

• NASCAR President Steve Phelps said the results from iRacing events during the shutdown have been “staggeringly positive.” Phelps, speaking today during the CAA World Congress Comes To You  -- an SBJ virtual event -- said the shutdown is “an opportunity for us to put something in front of our fans that’s fun. … People are yearning for live sports.” Phelps: “The other unique piece (is) we’ve had over 1 million viewers that did not watch one of our first four races and they tend to also be younger.”
  
  
• When it comes to getting cars back out on a real track, Phelps said the races will be returning “almost certainly initially without fans.” He noted NASCAR also is “working with the different states and the counties, municipalities, where we race to try to get back to racing as quickly as we can.” He said of reworking the schedule with Fox and NBC, “We went early and often to our broadcast partners to secure the windows that were necessary. We were probably the first league there with, ‘Hey, this is our schedule. Will you clear our windows?’ And the answer is, ‘Absolutely, we’ll keep clear your windows because you know, you’re essentially the first people here.” 
  
  
• Phelps in a message of encouragement to the sports industry advised other leagues to “come together.” Phelps wondered, “Is there an opportunity for us from a governmental standpoint to be able to lobby and glean what the PGA Tour is doing?” Phelps said he had a conversation with Commissioner Jay Monahan last week about his method to the madness and requested “weekly discussions about what you’re doing and what we’re doing that we may be able to draft off each other.” 

• Phelps said NASCAR as an industry has a “powerful voice,” especially when one considers “ownership and the relationships with the broadcast partners, media and sponsors.” Phelps: “It’s just a massive industry that needs to speak. Maybe we can’t speak with one voice, but we can speak smartly about how we get back to playing our games or in our case racing.” 

USOPC’s HIRSHLAND: “DON’T BE AFRAID TO PLAY OFFENSE”

• USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland is stressing her organization's ability to be “nimble and adaptable” following the postponement of the Tokyo Games. As to whether there is any silver lining coming from the delay, Hirshland told attendees at today's CAA World Congress Comes to You virtual event that it “really forces you to focus on what matters most.” Hirshland: “I start every day making sure that I give myself time to re-prioritize what matters most, knowing what I know now, knowing what I know today, what matters most. … Right now, that is in the health and safety of our community and what does that mean and what does that look like and how do we ensure we are starting to prepare the reentry plan.” 

• Hirshland expressed confidence in the Team USA's ability to recover from effects of the pandemic. That starts with being proactive as the situation continues to develop. “It's the hardest to do, but it's critically important to not be afraid to play offense and to be thinking not just about reacting to what's coming our way, but being proactive about how we can help others. … The world changes on a daily basis, and so we're adapting and changing with it.”
  
  
• Transparency with stakeholders is also at the forefront of Hirshland’s day-to-day schedule from home in Colorado Springs. “We're doing much more frequent scheduled calls. We have calls with the NGB community more than once a week. We have calls with the athletes advisory council once a week. We have calls with our donors and our board on a regular basis. We have a financial stability group that we're working with, so it is a lot of communication and listening.”
  
  
• How’s Hirshland personally dealing with working from home? While she admitted she is constantly covered in dog hair, she is “trying to get in plenty of exercise” that she doesn’t always get the luxury of when on the road. “Certainly eating healthier. … We're trying to take care of ourselves as much as everybody else.”

NFLPA CHIEF EMPHASIZES HEALTH BEFORE ANY FOOTBALL RETURNS

• NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said today that basic safety questions about coronavirus must be answered before you can talk details of how the NFL season might be conducted, SBJ’s Ben Fischer reports. In a pre-draft media call, Smith noted that health experts want to see declining infection rates, declining deaths and widespread testing before any general return to normalcy. His comments come one week after Dr. Anthony Fauci legitimized the prospect of games occurring with players quarantined or no fans.
  
  
• "There’s going to be a myriad of factors you have to evaluate, and facts you have to know, even before you could contemplate something like a sequester or a quarantined group,” Smith said. He said the union will discuss testing for players with the league -- but also ensuring there are enough testing kits that the NFL wouldn’t be taking from other groups that need them more urgently. “We all want to be in a position to make sure we’re not doing anything for the sake of football that would unnecessarily endanger our greater community."
  
  
• As an aside, Smith mentioned he recently read “The Great Influenza” by author John Barry, which gives a detailed look at the 1918-19 flu pandemic. One takeaway: “There was a lull in the outbreak and someone people thought it meant that it had somehow miraculously disappeared, they only later found out that the virus mutated, that it came back in much stronger form.”
  
  
• Despite all that, Smith said he saw no reason for the NFL to not publish a 2020 schedule as planned next month, as long as everyone is clear-eyed about what a return will require. In the meantime, the union’s task force will leave no stone unturned, said NFLPA Medical Director Dr. Thom Mayer. “We’re going to look at everything, every single solution that could occur, as long as it keeps the patient-players, all 2,500 of them, and the rest of their families safe,” Mayer said.

OMAR RAJA EMPHASIZES RAISING THE BAR FOR CONTENT

• "House of Highlights" creator Omar Raja, who now works on ESPN’s social and digital content, said that knowing what content will generate widespread appeal “comes with time,” and “that’s the hardest part because content is what makes you successful.” Raja, who has been creating online content for over a decade, told attendees at today's CAA World Congress Comes to You virtual event that “good content will always win,” but the “tricky part is me, you and 50 different people could have a different opinion on what good content is.” Raja: “You have to kind of see what the audience likes. I would say 80% of the time I personally enjoy the video, and 20% of the time I’ve just learned that people like this type of content.” Raja said at-home, trick-shot videos are an example of content that he personally does not care for, but will post because the “audience loves them.”
  
  
• Raja said although people may think the bar for content during the pandemic shutdown “might be a little bit lower just because people are bored,” the reality is that “you have to get the best of the best of the best for the content to work.” Raja last week said he had to create a video featuring “every best Michael Jordan dunk” to get 2-3 million hits. Raja: “The first week of quarantine the bar was very low. It kind of felt like I could post anything and it would get two million views. But now, people are kind of getting tired of, ‘Hey, we've seen this trick shot a hundred times. We've seen this type of video a hundred times.’ So now the bar just keeps getting higher and higher.”
  
  
• Raja discussed how he began his partnership with Turner Sports ;and Bleacher Report, and he said it was not until “all the celebrities starting engaging” with the House of Highlights account that he “got the attention of a few media companies.” Raja: “You had LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Snoop Dogg. And I think once those celebrities started following the account, engaging with the account, commenting on the posts, it started showing up on other people's feeds.” Raja said he first went with Turner because there were the “most persistent” and it “made a lot of sense” because Raja needed rights to NBA footage.

CHRIS PAUL KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH UNION MEMBERS

• Thunder point guard Chris Paul, who also serves as union president for NBA players, is doing what he can to keep in contact with his fellow members. Paul said of the NBPA exec committee, “We're on calls daily, weekly, not only about getting back to play but how to be there for our players. Trying to inform them on how we'll be paid going forward, or also just being an encourager. It's hard to stay focused and train during a time like this. So it's been an experience for all of us. But I think the good thing about us is that we're all trying to get through it together.”
  
  
• In trying to navigate the issues that face players during the pandemic, Paul told attendees at today's virtual CAA World Congress Comes to You event that he is balancing each individual’s interest and that of the players as a whole. The bottom line for him these days is that whatever way the league wants to move forward, health needs to be given top priority. “Even though there are negotiations that have to be had at some point and everyone's always like, ‘It's us against them,’ everything has been so collaborative since play stopped," he said. "Adam (Silver) has been great in communicating with us. That's the biggest thing as you know, in any situation, as long as you communicate and players feel like they're informed in what's going on, I think everything works smoothly.”
  
  
• As for what the sports world will look like once things return to some semblance of normalcy, Paul expects sports and life in general will be different. But he does not think that is a bad thing. Paul: “We'll all just be a lot more aware. I think the biggest thing that I'll come personally out of this pandemic with is the importance of time. As much as I talk, I always talk about time, but sometimes you say it, but don't necessarily really understand it, but I think the importance of being around my kids a lot more and them actually getting a chance to see dad in the flesh and not just see dad on the television.”

POTENTIAL WTA-ATP MERGER GAINS STEAM DURING PANDEMIC

• The men’s and women’s pro tennis tours have been divided since 1973, but the idea of closer cooperation has gained some steam during the pandemic, writes SBJ's Bret McCormick. Many of tennis’ major stakeholders have made strides in working together to confront the pandemic’s global impacts. Today, a pro-merger tweet from Roger Federer lent even more credibility to a possible combination of the ATP and WTA. Subsequent tweets from ATP pros Rafael Nadal and Vasek Pospisil confirmed that talks are ongoing behind the scenes.
  
  
• A united WTA-ATP would be a huge shift accompanied by major questions, such as whether across-the-board equal prize money would be paid out to male and female players, whether various TV deals could -- and should -- be consolidated and how logistical challenges like forming a novel organization with a new name and branding would be tackled.
  
  
• WTA President Micky Lawler, speaking today at the CAA World Congress Comes to You virtual conference, reacted to Federer's tweet by saying, "Roger's comments today were a great way to start the day because I think he paid ultimate respect to women and showed how far we've come as an organization. The crisis has forced every governing body to work much closer together and this is something I've personally wished for and worked toward for a long time."
  
  
• ATP chair Andrea Gaudenzi also confirmed to the N.Y. Times today that the talks between the two tours were legitimate. No further details have emerged, though, including any possible timeline for such a change. "Our sport has a big opportunity if we can come together in the spirit of collaboration and unity,” Gaudenzi said in a statement. “Recent cooperation between governing bodies has only strengthened my belief that a unified sport is the surest way to maximize our potential and to deliver an optimal experience for fans on-site, on television and online.”

SBJ SURVEY: 35% OF EXECS REDUCING SCOPE OF BUSINESS

• About a third of sports business execs have already reduced the scope of their operations due to coronavirus-related restrictions and suspensions, according to a recent survey conducted by SBJ and YouGov Sport. The survey was made available April 10-15 to all SBJ/SBD subscribers with the goal of gauging some of the ways the global pandemic has affected the sports industry. More than half of the 952 readers who completed the survey identified themselves as senior management. For more results, see the current issue of SBJ, this week's Unpacks newsletters and issues of SBD.

Download the YouGov Chart

COLLEGE COACHES GROUP AGAINST REDUCING MINIMUM SPORT REQUIREMENT

• A coalition of intercollegiate coaches released a letter that publicly voices their opposition to cutting sports, notes SBJ's Michael Smith. Specifically, they oppose a recent request by the Group of Five commissioners to relax the NCAA mandate requiring D-I ;schools to sponsor 16 sports. This comes on the heels of Cincinnati cutting men’s soccer and Old Dominion eliminating wrestling as cost-saving measures. “Reducing the minimum sports sponsorship requirement that would open the door to eliminating sports should not be an option,” the letter read.
  
  
• The Group of Five includes the AAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, Conference USA and MAC. Their letter asked for a four-year waiver. Another group of D-I commissioners representing the 22 conferences outside of the FBS submitted a similar request today asking for a two-year waiver from the sport minimum. Cutting sports is considered one option for schools in budgetary distress since the pandemic hit. Many coaches are concerned that if schools temporarily shutter Olympic sports programs for 2-4 years, they won’t be brought back.
  
  
• The Intercollegiate Coach Association Coalition is a group of coaches’ associations for volleyball, wrestling, soccer, swimming and diving, lacrosse, gymnastics, baseball, softball, tennis, golf, rifle, ice hockey, field hockey, equestrian and water polo. “The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic places a lasting burden on both higher education and intercollegiate athletics alike, but slashing opportunities for students is not the solution,” the ICAC wrote.

LEADERS SEE PERIL FOR YOUTH SPORTS WITHOUT FEDERAL AID

• The coalition that on Monday asked Congress for $8.5 billion in federal aid to keep youth sports programs afloat during the pandemic has unified leaders from programs in underserved communities and a travel sports circuit built on club and tournament fees and the promise of heads in hotel beds. In today’s Unpacks podcast, SBJ’s Bill King spoke to two members of that coalition -- 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps -- about the peril facing programs that may not make it through the crisis without federal aid.
  
  
• “They’re fledgling; they’re living month to month,” Fitzgerald Mosley said, describing many of the programs her non-profit helps fund. “And some of them have been receiving fees from schools to support after school programming that’s focused on the kids at that school that need access. Those fees dried up when school was cancelled or suspended. So that revenue stream has gone away." She added: "That’s the real crisis here with the grassroots youth sports organizations, Will they be here in June, July, August, September or whenever we return to play? And can they continue to provide free access to youth sports, and the character development, youth development, social and emotional development of these kids that are in crisis every day of the year, not just during this pandemic.”
  
  
• For more, check out the full interview on today’s Unpacks podcast here.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH BAYERN MUNICH'S RUDOLF VIDAL

• Rudolf Vidal has been leading Bayern Munich's efforts here in the U.S. since 2014, and the shutdown hasn’t slowed down his mission to grow the Bundesliga club’s brand. Vidal, who has been quarantining in Miami, is confident Bayern will bounce back just fine along with the rest of the sports industry. “What we do now is step back and enhance what we’ve done in America. … We are in a very good spot and we see that there is a huge movement in soccer in general and we want to contribute in a decisive way,” he said.
  
  
• Communicating efficiently has always been a priority for Bayern, with staff and offices across plenty of time zones. There probably isn’t a technology that the team hasn’t been using in its efforts to stay in touch, Vidal said. He prefers video conferencing for a more personal touch. “Whatever helps to be closer to your staff,” he said. Vidal also is proud of the solidarity and empathy the organization is showing. “Everybody is working closely in this,” he said. “I want to help them individually and support them mentally, emotionally and also financially, when needed.”
  
  
• Vidal is encouraged by the Bundesliga’s plan to become one of the first European leagues to restart, aiming to get back on the field in May and finish its season by the end of June. Clubs began training in small groups earlier this month. While fans are the lifeblood of sports, Vidal knows leagues must proceed with caution upon any restart. “You just want to have an audience,” he said. “On the other hand, the financials force us so that we have to play those games. So, we will look at that first. Then, the audience, we will include when we can.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey.

Vidal, who has been quarantining in Miami, is confident Bayern will bounce back along with the rest of the sports industry

SPEED READS

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution checked in with Georgia Tech and noted that when the pandemic hit, athletic department staff “already had been using the Microsoft Teams platform,” making a transition to distance learning easier. Associate AD Phyllis LaBaw noted that “Sundays through Thursdays, from 2-9 p.m., advisers and tutors have been busy in virtual meetings with Tech athletes.” Football study halls are conducted via Zoom, and the “dependence upon virtual meetings has opened the eyes of the athletic department to their benefits even when campus re-opens.”
  
  

• SBJ's David Broughton notes Canada-based Rogers Communications came out with Q1 financials this morning, and media revenue decreased by 12%. The decline is primarily as a result of lower advertising and sports revenue, including with the company-owned Blue Jays, due to the impact of COVID-19 and the mid-March suspension of major sports leagues.
  
  

• ESPN’s Trey Wingo preached realistic expectations for tomorrow’s virtual NFL Draft to Barstool’s “Pardon My Take” podcast. Wingo, who will host the show across both ESPN and NFL Network, said, “The Draft is insane to begin with. … The way I’m looking at it, everything going up to the Draft is the same. How it plays out is how it’s going to play out, but I can’t worry about that. We’re just going to have to do the thing and figure it out as we go along. … It’s going to be messy. There’s no way around that."
  
  

• The Lubbock Avalanche Journal writes the combination of COVID-19 and a slump in oil prices is a “double whammy” for a school like Texas Tech. The program, “just up the road from the oil-rich Permian Basin where many of its most loyal friends reside, could well be as nervous as any program about donor giving.” Tech Senior Associate AD Jonathan Botros said total contributions are around 25-30% of the athletic department’s overall budget. The Bryan-College Station Eagle also looked at the oil slump's impact on Texas A&M, whose AD Ross Bjorksaid: "It’s hard to say exactly how much we’re dependent on it. I’d really have to do an in-depth study on that. We know it will have an impact. We know we have people that their livelihood, depending on what channel you are in in the oil supply chain, you are going to be impacted."

• White Sox team doctor Nick Verma is bullish on MLB returning sooner rather than later. Asked by NBC Sports Chicago’s “White Sox Talk” podcast if he envisions baseball in 2020, Verma said, “I do. Take the fan portion out of it, because that’s going to be a much bigger decision and probably will be delayed. … It comes down to our ability to have access and socially reasonable guidelines for testing. We shouldn’t have testing to play baseball if it means we can’t have testing in an emergency room. … Once we have that access to testing that’s applicable to society as a whole, there is a path forward.”

• The Harlem Globetrotters have "joined the list of organizations that have put staff on temporary leave in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The Georgia-based organization, which last month suspended its domestic and international tours through mid-May, has "furloughed 175 employees as of April 20." 

CLOSING THOUGHTS FROM WORLD CONGRESS COMES TO YOU

• SBJ/SBD Publisher & Executive Editor Abe Madkour wrapped up today's CAA World Congress Comes To You sessions with a word on maintaining community, honing core competencies and looking ahead to the industry's recovery from this unprecedented crisis.

 NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Tigers, Rockies Seen As Leaders In Keeping Staffs Paid During Hiatus
  • Goodell Restates NFL's Plan To Play As Scheduled If Virus Allows It
  • Return For U.S. Sports Could Depend On Decisions By Canada
  • Bettman, Fehr Put Differences Aside In Attempt To Restart NHL
  •  Union Rep Says MLS Players Have Been Told Of Possible Pay Cuts
  • Real Salt Lake Facing Long Financial Road Back Due To COVID-19
  • Sources: U.S. Soccer Approved For PPP Loan To Help Cover Costs
  • Tennis Canada Enacts Broad Layoffs, Furloughs, Pay Cuts
  • Players Coalition Goes Beyond Social Justice Reform Amid Virus

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • 1984 Gold Medal-winning hurdler Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, now U.S. CEO of non-profit group Laureus, and Jeremy Goldberg, president of youth sports platform League Apps talk about the peril facing youth sports programs without federal aid during the pandemic.
  • Former American Gaming Association exec Sara Slane discusses the downturn in sports betting during the pandemic.
  • SBJ's Bill King, Eric Prisbell & John Lombardo discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how it can have an impact on the sports industry.
  • ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman discusses the network’s NFL Draft plans.
  • Mark Ein, who owns an ATP/WTA event and Overwatch League team based in D.C., discusses the tennis event and the sport at large, as well as esports' growth during the shutdown.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The attorneys have been busy. Two major lawsuits came to light today, including Oliver Luck suing Vince McMahon for breach of contract after he was fired from the now-defunct XFL. A class-action lawsuit has also been filed against MLB and its ticket partners, Ticketmaster and StubHub, for not issuing refunds.

Sports leagues are going under and seasons are being shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That makes for fertile litigious ground.

Luck, the former West Virginia AD and NCAA senior exec, was hired to be the XFL’s commissioner for top dollar, signing a multiyear deal worth $20 million and potentially $30 million based on the league’s performance, SBJ reported in 2018. Now, he’s suing McMahon to recoup the guaranteed portion.

The action against MLB was initiated by two fans in New York seeking a refund for their Mets and Yankees ticket purchases. Whether the suit grows to include other ticket buyers remains to be seen.

We’ve all become well-acquainted with the legal term “Force Majeure,” a clause in contracts that protects a party if an unforeseen event makes it impossible to do business. It’s basically an out clause for M&A or commercial contracts. But before thinking Force Majeure is the answer to all business woes during the pandemic, understand “it can be difficult to justify invoking the provision to cancel a transaction,” Benjamin Horney writes for Law360.

On to today’s stories. Stay safe, everyone.

 -- Michael Smith

MiLB HOPED TO EXTEND PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL AGREEMENT

• MiLB is expected to agree to move forward with 120 affiliated teams (down from 160) tomorrow, as first reported by Baseball America. The two sides had engaged in contentious negotiations for months, and the pandemic added a complex layer to those talks. Multiple MiLB sources told SBJ’s Eric Prisbell that they were hoping both sides would agree to extend the Professional Baseball Agreement another year amid the potential that already financially-strapped MiLB teams could lose the entire 2020 season. But whatever small amount of leverage MiLB appeared to have had -- relying largely on a public campaign that focused on saving baseball in small-town America -- all but disintegrated amid the pandemic.

• A MLB source said the league office was as surprised as anyone with the Baseball America report, adding that they have received no formal indications -- acknowledging some backchannel discussions about the issue -- that MiLB was agreeing to 120 affiliated teams. The source said that it remains to be seen if MiLB holds true on that position in tomorrow's conference call. In any event, MLB says it is committed to trying to maintain baseball in the markets that may lose affiliated teams. 
  
  
• One minor league baseball team owner took SBJ through the uncertainty of the contraction situation amid the pandemic. "If you believe you're on the (contraction) list, now what do you do? If you believe you're going to be contracted anyway, do you keep your employees and continue to pay them, which the government is urging? The truth is … if you then continue to pay people rather than furloughing and then find yourself contracted out, the economic harm that you've suffered amid the uncertainty over this is absolutely catastrophic."

• MiLB has also said that each of its 160 teams likely will apply for assistance through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program. SBJ’s David Broughton notes nearly $5 billion has already been issued to companies in the “Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation” sector, which includes sports. According to Small Business Administration data through April 16, companies in the sector had received 1.44% of the $342 billion spent on the program, accounting for 39,670 loans. 

Download the PPP Sector Loans

WOULD MLB PLAYERS GO ALONG WITH BUBBLE CITIES PLAN?

• A variety of plans for how MLB can start an abbreviated 2020 season remain in motion, but one of the potential deal-breakers for players may be whether their families could be quarantined with them wherever they are designated to play. Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright told MLB Network Radio, "You're going to have a lot of uninterested players when they hear that their families are not to be involved." If families are included in the plan to create so-called bubble cities where games are played, that inevitably means even more COVID-19 tests for family members (as well as players, coaches, staff, etc.).

• ESPN's Tim Kurkjian told SBJ this week that the bubble cities concept is “just the best of the bad ideas." He added that what Wainwright expressed is "the way almost every player feels.” More Kurkjian: “That will be the real tricky part. How do we keep the union happy here, because they have every right to say we want to play -- but we need to play in better conditions than quarantined for four months, no family with us, hotel and ballpark only. That just doesn't sound like a good situation."

YOUTH SPORTS LOOK TO CONGRESS FOR $8.5 BILLION IN AID

• A coalition of more than 400 youth and community sports organizations -- including Little League, Pop Warner, USA Volleyball and most leading travel sports operators -- will lobby Congress for $8.5 billion in federal aid to keep both non-profit and paid programs afloat during a shutdown that has canceled leagues, tournaments, camps and clinics across the country, SBJ’s Bill King reports. In a letter delivered yesterday to leaders in both the Senate and House, the coalition -- led by the National Council of Youth Sports -- pointed to a shutdown of youth and travel sports that is expected to linger well into the summer, the peak activity season for both recreational programs and a regional and national travel sports circuit that has emerged as a driver for tourism.
  
  
• Funds would be used to offset cancellation of tournaments, clinics and other programs, many of which were not covered by insurance and do not qualify for other emergency relief sources. It also would offer funding to pay workers at organizations that don’t qualify for existing or extended federal relief. The group pledged to prioritize underserved youth. “As this crisis persists, the infrastructure of youth sports, from running programs, providing coaching and hosting events and competitions is eroding,” the group said in the letter. “We must provide critical support now to the youth sports community so these programs can remain intact for our youth as the crisis wanes.”

• The N.Y. Times’ Joe Drape also took a look at the impact of the shutdown on youth sports.

SURVEY: SPORTS BUSINESS EXECS EXPECT LENGTHY RECOVERY PERIOD

• Around 31% of sports business execs believe it will take at least 18 months for their business to recover from the havoc caused by the coronavirus-related restrictions, according to a recent survey conducted by SBJ and YouGov. For organizers of single events, 78% said it would take more than a year to recover, compared to 57% of the rest of the respondents.

• The survey was made available April 10-15 to all SBJ and Sports Business Daily subscribers with the goal of gauging some of the ways the global pandemic has affected the sports industry. More than half of the 952 readers who completed the survey identified themselves as senior management. For more results of the study, see the April 20 edition of SBJ and continue to check out this week’s issues of the SBJ Unpacks newsletter, as well as issues of SBD.

Download the SBJ Survey On Coronavirus Business Recovery Time

DE SMITH URGES CAUTION ON NFL START TIME DECISION

• NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith said league and union officials "have to ask tough questions" about how sporting events "fit into the safe practices of our country during a pandemic" when considering whether the NFL season should start on time. Smith, speaking yesterday on the "Debriefing the Briefing" podcast, "There's hundreds of police officers, firefighters, first responders at these games. Are we comfortable with those first responders being at a football game in order to keep us safe, or are we more comfortable with them being where they need to be in order to keep our families safe?"
  
  
• CBS' Major Garrett asked if NFL players should have access to coronavirus tests before the general public. Smith: "I don't think that anyone in our larger community should suffer simply because we want football to proceed on time." See more from Smith in today's issue of SBD.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH BARSTOOL SPORTS CEO ERIKA NARDINI

• Erika Nardini believes she may be working longer hours now than she was before being quarantined at her home in N.Y., with the Barstool Sports CEO plenty motivated to make sure her company comes out of the pandemic stronger than before. “We feel a really big commitment to keeping Barstool going and keeping it healthy and keeping it thriving,” Nardini said. She hasn’t set up a formal home office, though, choosing to instead piece together what she has in her basement, turning an old farm table into a desk. “It's a little bit of a gong show. ... I’m refusing to do it because I don't want to be working from home,” she said.
  
  
• On a daily basis, Nardini is texting Barstool President Dave Portnoy frequently and talking to CRO Deirdre Lester and CFO Wajeeha Ahmed 3-4 times each, while also speaking with Head of Programming Jen Simons 6-plus times. This week, the focus has been on sorting out Barstool’s streaming coverage around Thursday’s NFL Draft, making sure talent can coordinate their efforts together. Overall, Nardini is confident in Barstool’s strategy. “We're pivoting really aggressively right now to make the most of this quarantine time and to make sure that we're preserving as much revenue as possible and attacking,” she said.
  
  
• Being at home has given Nardini more time than she had before to watch Barstool content on social media, and she has even started a daily 10-minute show, the “Token CEO” podcast. “I’m really, honestly doing it so I don’t go crazy,” she said. It also has provided her with a better understanding of Barstool’s content creators. “It actually has given me a first-hand look at how we do some things that I think we need to evolve,” she said.

• Tune in to Part 3 of the CAA World Congress Comes To You virtual conference tomorrow to hear Nardini shed more light on Barstool’s operations during the pandemic and plans for the future. Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey. 

Nardini has opted not to set up a formal home office while quarantined in N.Y.

VIRTUAL WNBA DRAFT PROVES TO BE INTERESTING EXPERIMENT 

• SBJ’s Austin Karp reports the WNBA Draft on Friday night averaged 387,000 viewers on ESPN, marking the league's most-watched draft in 16 years. It was ESPN’s second-best figure on record for the event. The draft’s audience was up 123% from 2019, when it aired on ESPN2. The draft also was up 33% from 2011, which was the last time it aired on ESPN.

• Former Oregon star Ruthy Hebard took The Ringer through her experience of the Draft, where she ended up getting picked No. 8 overall by the Chicago Sky. On Friday night, she “set up the camera ESPN had sent her in the corner of her family’s living room in Fairbanks, Alaska, laid out the 12 hats and the interactive welcome package the league had mailed her, and waited.” Hours later due to tech issues, she was the “only one of the top picks who didn’t get to have her in-draft interview with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.” Hebard was grateful for the effort on all sides though, saying ESPN and the WNBA “did it really well.” Hebard: “Doing my makeup, just sitting there and watching my teammates and other girls get jobs. It was really fun.”

SPEED READS

• Esports Observer’s Tobias Seck writes under the header: “Financial Bottlenecks -- How the COVID-19 Recession Will Impact Esports Startups.” The esports ecosystem is a “rather young industry; consequently, it is host to a large percentage of startups.” A number of those startups “will benefit from boosted revenues from their products and services due to the increased demand for esports, gaming, and game live-streaming.” Moreover, the pandemic may be a way for these young companies to “prove the sustainability of their business models as history has shown that crisis begets opportunities for select startups.”

• Temporary pay cuts for athletic directors and the highest-paid coaches have become common at most universities, but Boise State took cost-savings to another level by putting most of its coaches on a furlough for up to 10 days. The Broncos are facing $10 million in lost revenue this spring. All school employees who make $40,000 or more are required to take the furlough.

• Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell are competing in a virtual 9-hole competition tonight via YouTube, reports SBJ's John Ourand. The two will play Pebble Beach using the online game WGT Golf. Mastercard is the presenting sponsor in partnership with Octagon and the World Golf Tour. Matt Ginella will host the live stream.

• The “Golf Digest Podcast” debated whether the PGA Tour made the right move in announcing a fan-less return in Ft. Worth on June 11. Daniel Rapaport said it’s important to note that this is “still very much the best case scenario.” Rapaport: “Give the PGA Tour some level of credit for sticking their neck out and doing this because they knew they were the first sport that’s released anything. … . They’re not going to do this if they think there’s no chance it happens. They believe they can really get their access and their hands on a bunch of tests and that’s the only reason why they would put this out.” Co-host Sam Weinman: “So much of it hinges on testing. … Right now, given all the problems we’re having with testing around the country, that seemed very ambitious.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:

• Fauci: Could See Some Form Of Spectators At MLB Games This Year
• Sources: MLB Now Discussing Potential Three-State Plan For '20
• MLBPA's Clark Has Issue With Prospect Of Renegotiating Salaries
• Louisville Slugger Maker Losing Revenue With Baseball On Pause
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Expects NASCAR Race At TMS "Very Soon"
• Louisville Plans Potential Furloughs, 15% Budget Cuts In All Sports
• FC Barcelona To Sell Camp Nou Naming Rights For Virus Funding
• Jeff Volk, Sports Execs Launch Sport Hiatus To Inform Amid Unique Time
• MLS Sponsor's Effort Supports First Responders, Healthcare Workers
• NFL Makes $3M Donation To Significantly Impacted Markets

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • SBJ's Bill King is joined by former American Gaming Association exec Sara Slane to discuss the downturn in sports betting during the pandemic.
  • SBJ's Bill King, Eric Prisbell & John Lombardo discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how it can have an impact on the sports industry.
  • SBJ's John Ourand is joined by ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman to discuss the network’s NFL draft plans.
  • Mark Ein, who owns an ATP/WTA event and Overwatch League team based in D.C., discusses the tennis event and the sport at large, as well as esports' growth during the shutdown.

VIRTUAL WORLD CONGRESS PART 3: JOIN US TOMORROW

• Hear interviews with Sarah Hirshland, CEO, USOPC; Chris Curtin, Chief Brand & Innovation Marketing Officer, Visa; Micky Lawler, President, WTA; Allen Greene, AD, Auburn; Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer, NCAA; Erika Nardini, CEO, Barstool Sports, and more. More than 800 execs have attended the previous episodes, so take advantage of this opportunity to network with people from across the industry.
  
  
• To register, go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

There’s still so much we don’t know about when sports will return. But this intro will only focus on good news today:

Reports out of Germany say that the Bundesliga has a plan to resume games in around three weeks, though games with fans have been described as “unthinkable.” 

ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Bulls launched to critical raves and bigger-than-expected audiences. Viewership for Parts 1 and 2 on Sunday night (6.1 million viewers) blew away early projections -- some of my sources put the over-under at 3 million viewers.

The NFL held a virtual draft today to test the system for when it goes live on Thursday night. There were enough tech glitches reported -- including with the very first pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter -- that buzz around the event should be intense. I’m expecting significant viewership gains this weekend.

Stay safe, everybody,

 -- John Ourand

VIEWERS TUNE IN FOR "THE LAST DANCE" ON ESPN/ESPN2

• ESPN blew past its documentary viewership record last night with the premiere of “The Last Dance,” writes SBJ’s Austin Karp. The highly-anticipated film is among a handful of fresh pieces of sports content to come out during the pandemic, and audiences tuned in to see the film focused on the final championship season for the ‘90s Bulls. Part 1 from 9-10pm ET averaged 6.3 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2 (an edited version for minors was simulcast on ESPN2). That audience easily set a record for the network. Part 2 from 10-11pm averaged 5.8 million, which is comfortably at No. 2 all-time.
  
  
• The combined two-hour premiere averaged 6.1 million viewers across the networks. On ESPN alone, last night’s films averaged 5.3 million viewers (5.7 million and 5.0 million, respectively). Chicago led all markets last night with a 12.1 local rating across ESPN/ESPN2. Rounding out the top five were Raleigh-Durham (6.5), Norfolk (4.9), Charlotte (4.7) and Greensboro (4.7). 
  
  
• Coming into the night, “You Don’t Know Bo,” which aired after the Heisman ceremony in 2012, was ESPN’s most-watched doc at 3.6 million viewers. At No 4 now is Episode 1 of “O.J.: Made in America,” the Oscar-winning film from 2016 that saw its premiere on ABC average 3.42 million. Rounding out the top five is “The Fab 5,” which averaged 2.75 million viewers back in March 2011.

CONCERNS OVER FOOTBALL CONTRIBUTE TO DISNEY STOCK DOWNGRADE

• Disney shares tumbled more than 4% today after two investment banks downgraded the stock due to coronavirus concerns. Credit Suisse and UBS cited Disney’s theme parks as a main reason for the downgrades. But the sports shutdown was a factor, too, writes SBJ's John Ourand. UBS analyst John Hodulik: “Postponement or cancelation of the NFL or college football would be another blow and likely impact affiliate revenues given greater cord-cutting and distributors’ reluctance to pay.” Credit Suisse analyst Douglas Mitchelson was not as negative, though he predicted that linear TV would see significant declines.
  
  
• MoffettNathanson kept Comcast at a “buy” rating, but painted a dire picture of its NBCU television assets. “The Broadcast Television and Cable Networks segments will be buffeted by a precipitous decline in advertising. An acceleration in cord-cutting will, in the short term, reduce affiliate/retrans revenue, and, in the long term, will only accelerate the secular declines already in place for traditional media.”

WINCRAFT ROLLING OUT KANSAS-THEMED FACE COVERINGS

• WinCraft will be the first licensee to manufacture and sell NCAA-themed face coverings via a license with CLC, reports SBJ's Terry Lefton. The mask will sell for $8 and debut at retail later this week or early next week with Kansas logos. Distribution will be through college bookstores -- physical and virtual -- as well as sports specialty stores, grocers and Fanatics. Production will be at WinCraft’s Winonah, Minn., plant, which has brought back 200 employees that were furloughed last month.
  
  
• FOCO and Industry Rag were licensed to produce NBA masks last week. Other large sports properties are expected to follow.

SURVEY: NFL, ESPORTS BEST POSITIONED FOR POST-COVID-19 WORLD

• Sports business execs believe the NFL and esports will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic in better shape than other leagues and sports according to a recent survey conducted by SBJ and YouGov.
  
  
• The survey was made available from April 10-15 to all SBJ/SBD subscribers with the goal of gauging some of the ways the global pandemic has affected the sports industry. More than half of the 952 readers who completed the survey identified themselves as senior management. For more results of the study, check out this week's SBJ, as well as subsequent issues of SBD this week.

Download the SBJ survey

SUNS MOVED QUICKLY TO CAPITALIZE ON "NBA 2K"

• The Suns were "among the fastest" to build full events around "NBA 2K" matchups that included sports celebrities, live giveaways, and local TV and radio broadcasting, writes Graham Ashton for The Esports Observer, a sister publication of SBJ. “Every game has commitments," said Suns Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Dean Stoyer. "Everything from in-arena, t-shirt tosses, kiss cams; you can count the list." The "NBA 2K" effort has allowed the Suns to "fill in commercial spots, interviews and reshare highlight moments on social media."
  
  
• In some cases, the engagement numbers on Twitch are 10x bigger than what the organization "would have gotten from airing a basketball game" on FS Arizona or on radio. "It was how quickly we moved,” Stoyer noted, adding that the Suns were running games even before the league announced its own "NBA 2K" players-only charity invitational. “If we had not, we would’ve lost momentum and the opportunity to capitalize on that audience.”
  
  
• Currently, the Suns are "one of the eight NBA franchises that have not yet joined the official NBA 2K League; an esports joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive (currently postponed due to COVID-19)." Stoyer said joining the competition "had been on the table before the lockdown, and while the positive impact of its virtual broadcasts may make entry more attainable, he adds that not having an esports franchise meant the Suns were free to approach gaming in its own way."

ESPN3 GETS LIVE SPORTS VIA INTERNATIONAL TENNIS SERIES

• Some rare televised live sports took place this morning at the tennis courts of a private residence in Bradenton, Fla. The International Tennis Series, airing this week on ESPN3, features some ATP pros that live within driving distance of the courts, all of whom are currently sidelined by the tour's suspension of play until July 13. The series is the brainchild of Harry Cicma, a former doubles player, TV personality and producer. A two-person crew (no announcers) oversees two cameras on opposite ends of the court. The winner of each day’s four-player mini-tournament wins a four-figure prize. SportsEdTV is sponsoring and funding prize money for the series, which will be played for the next few months -- televised or not.
  
  
• Cicma stressed that safety is the key to the whole enterprise (no spectators). Dunlop, an in-kind sponsor whose logo shows up clearly on the broadcast, is providing as many tennis balls as needed so each player has his own balls and doesn’t have to touch anyone else’s. “I don’t want to do anything that’s going to hurt people or get in the way but at the same time the players are also struggling a lot,” said Cicma. Dunlop Marketing Manager Kim Pettit noted that Steven Shulla, the agent for IMG Academy founder Nick Bollettieri, reached out to Dunlop to get the ball-provider involved.
  
  
• The ITS is one of three events that Cicma is doing with ESPN, following pickleball and platform tennis events that aired in March. “I want things to get back to normal more than anyone in the world,” he said. “We’re just trying to find a way to keep people at home engaged and upbeat, and keep the players in shape and making some money. It’s a fine line between what’s safe and isn’t safe.” The ITS has commitments from over 30 players, according to Cicma.

The International Tennis Series features some ATP pros that live within driving distance of the Bradenton, Fla., courts

WORKING FROM HOME WITH DUCKS VP/HR GINA GALASSO

• Ducks VP/HR Gina Galasso has been getting her work day started around 8:30am, having cut out the hour-long drive from the San Gabriel Valley to Honda Center in Anaheim. Most of her time now is spent in a home office while her husband and teenage son work and virtually attend school, respectively, from the dining room. The day usually includes a walk with the family dog around lunchtime, and Galasso generally keeps things going online until about 7pm. Her family passes the time by cooking together, playing board games, watching shows/movies and sharing fun news they often find on social media. “Overall enjoying each other’s company,” she said.
  
  
• Galasso is using everything you can imagine to stay in touch with the rest of the organization -- FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Zoom, phone calls, text messages and emails. The Ducks have been trying to engage and educate staff virtually via training programs, employee surveys, photo and trivia contests, employee music playlists and email updates. The HR department has “found its rhythm,” Galasso said. “Initially, I struggled to find my stride, but now have settled into a groove.”
  
  
• Work from home tips from Galasso: “I can’t underscore the importance of setting a schedule and establishing boundaries as work/home demands can quickly become blurred lines. … Find grains of positivity where you can focus on creating an optimistic future for people. … Be authentic -- you must be a real person to make a real connection. Participate in virtual meetings with your camera on!”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey. 

Galasso believes people should set a schedule and establish boundaries as work/home demands can quickly become blurred lines

SPEED READS

• ESPN’s Jonathan Givony called any plans for a regular NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25 “unrealistic.” Speaking on the latest “Hoops Collective” podcast, Givony said: “The only way I could see it happening is within the next couple weeks, the league decides that there’s not going to be a season and it’s going to be business as usual.” Givony, who also helps draftees get ready for the evaluation period, cited his work with several players over the past month: “I’ve started to prep prospects for the interview portion, which is really the only thing they can do. … The four guys I’ve talked to have done nothing. Maybe they’ve gone out for a run, but basketball stuff they’re not able to do. … Realistically it would make sense where we’re looking at almost the end of August.”

• Welcome back to Teresa Elder, CEO of small cable operator WideOpenWest, following a bout with COVID-19. Elder had taken a temporary leave of absence last month after getting admitted to a Denver-area hospital. In an SEC filing today, the company said that Elder “returned from her leave of absence and resumed her duties and responsibilities.” 

• Over the last several weeks, Strat-O-Matic has seen online sales and social traffic more than quadruple from any previous year. Strat-O-Matic stats to recreate the 2020 MLB season have appeared in major newspapers like the S.F. Chronicle and Toronto Sun. The company started compiling daily simulations of the NBA Playoffs over the weekend. "We have found our simulations are helping a lot of people fill a void and even reconnect and for that we are really happy to be involved," said 88-year-old Strat-O-Matic founder Hal Richman.
  
  

• Licensing agency CLC today launched the “United As One” digital campaign, which uses graphics and video content to provide fans with school-specific Zoom backgrounds. CLC also is encouraging fans to recreate a memorable sports moment and share it using #UnitedAsOne for a chance to be included in school-specific “Top 10 Moments” videos. More than 180 CLC schools are participating in the campaign.

• SB Nation’s editorial staff is among those affected as part of parent company Vox Media’s plan to furlough 9% of employees from May 1 to July 31. Vox CEO Jim Bankoff wrote in a memo: “We’ve already seen a decline in our business. Weakness in March, driven by the cancellations of SXSW and March Madness, the collapse of travel, sports and fashion-related advertising, and other factors led us to miss our revenue goals by several million dollars in the first quarter.”

• The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discussed how “The Last Dance” became the perfect quarantine watch. One aspect that elevated the ESPN doc was a high ceiling for interview subjects within each episode. Russillo said of the ‘90s Bulls, “Looking back now 20 years removed, this hasn’t been talked about enough. … Those of us that talk for a living, those of us that are asked our opinions, we want to sound profound. We want to have that lasting moment. If you get interviewed for this, you’re hoping to say that thing that really, really resonates.”

• Mel Kiper Jr. cited team sources who are comfortable with their selection process for this week’s virtual NFL Draft, but remain concerned with turning around any potential deals during the event. Kiper, on ESPN’s “College Football Podcast,” said, “They’re concerned with trades. Can you communicate well enough? … You can’t do what you could before and a lot of that was key to trades. Hand signals, eye contact, all the things you get without even saying a word from people in a room.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:

• MLB's Decision On Employee Contracts Gives Teams Flexibility
• Angels Commit To Paying Ballpark Employees Who Don't Have Work
• NHL Puts Return Focus On Big City With Fewer Coronavirus Cases
• NBA Ownership Determined To Find Way To Finish Out Season
• Engelbert: WNBA Could Push Into Fall Depending On Start Date
• Full MLS Season Still Possible; No Furloughs Planned
• Monahan: Cohesiveness Helped PGA Tour Find Target Date For Return
• A Ryder Cup Without Fans? PGA's Seth Waugh Says It's Possible
• Pandemic Could Create Economic Issues For Sports Teams For Years
• Pegula S&E Bracing For Different Future Amid Pandemic Fallout
• WNBA Makes Draft Day Donation To Direct Relief

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • SBJ's Bill King, Eric Prisbell & John Lombardo discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and how it can have an impact on the sports industry.
  • SBJ's John Ourand is joined by ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman to discuss the network’s NFL draft plans.
  • Mark Ein, who owns an ATP/WTA event and Overwatch League team based in D.C., discusses the tennis event and the sport at large, as well as esports' growth during the shutdown.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Michael Smith discuss how college athletes and the NCAA come back on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIRTUAL WORLD CONGRESS PART 3: JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY

• Hear interviews with Sarah Hirshland, CEO, USOPC; Chris Curtin, Chief Brand & Innovation Marketing Officer, Visa; Micky Lawler, President, WTA; Allen Greene, AD, Auburn; Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer, NCAA; Erika Nardini, CEO, Barstool Sports, and more. More than 800 execs have attended the previous episodes, so take advantage of this opportunity to network with people from across the industry.
  
  
• To register, go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

The week ends with at least a faint glimmer that sports will resume in the not-to-distant future as various states begin to wrestle with how to re-open.

It will likely be a scattershot and complicated approach by location, and the same will hold true for leagues and properties that more than likely will play initially without fans. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, said sports perhaps could continue this summer under some strict guidelines -- including playing in empty stadiums and arenas and with stringent player testing.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said late this afternoon after a Board of Governors meeting held via videoconference that the league still does not have enough information to know when it could restart play. Silver cited Disney executive chair Bob Iger in his video address, noting it will be "about the data, not the date." Silver: “We are not in a position to make any decisions and it is unclear when we will be."

The NBA contrasts with the PGA Tour’s announcement that it will tentatively resume its season on June 11-14 at the Charles Schwab Challenge without fans on the course -- a strategy to continue for the following three next tournaments. Plans could change given the uncertainty surrounding the spread of coronavirus, but at least there is a sense that golf will attempt to restart its season.

One thing we know for sure is that Sunday’s highly touted and much anticipated debut of ESPN's 10-part documentary on the late '90s Bulls will help fill the void in the sports calendar.

Stay safe, everyone.

 -- John Lombardo

SPORTS BUSINESS STORIES THAT STOOD OUT TO US TODAY

• Jocelyn Moore, the NFL’s top PR and lobbying exec, is leaving the league after less than two years on the job.

• An in-depth look at the final days of the XFL.

• Reviews say ESPN’s Michael Jordan-Bulls doc set for this Sunday night lives up to the hype.

• How are agencies navigating the delicate balance for brands and athletes amid the pandemic?

DEAL BETWEEN NBA, UNION PRESERVES MOST OF PLAYER SALARIES

• A deal struck between the NBA and NBPA late this afternoon preserves most of the player salaries that could be withheld should the remaining games of 2020 be canceled, notes SBJ's John Lombardo. The CBA between the two sides specifically refers to an epidemic as a force majeure event, and today's agreement will see the league withhold 25% of each player's paycheck beginning May 15 should more games be canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Players will receive their full paychecks through May 1. The deal was announced this afternoon after the NBA’s virtual BOG meeting.
  
  
• Negotiations between the league and the union had been ongoing since the outbreak began.

SOURCE: FULL MLS SEASON POSSIBLE; NO PLAYER FURLOUGH PLANS

• A full MLS season remains still mathematically possible and the league is not planning any player furloughs at this time, according to a source cited by SBJ's Mark J. Burns. That news comes as the league is reportedly beginning discussions with the players' union about significant salary cuts amid the pandemic. If no more matches are played this year, players would still earn at least 50% of their salaries, and if no fans are allowed in venues, that could also cut salaries further.
  
  
• Sources said that conversations between the league and union date back to at least late last week. Another source said that yesterday, the league had a meeting with the union and six-player executive board, who then discussed the call’s substance with the MLS player reps. MLS in a statement confirmed the salary discussions and also extended its moratorium on regular-season matches to June 8.
  
  
• Another issue includes the new collective bargaining agreement agreed to in principle in early February, which has not yet been ratified. The CBA also does not include any force majeure clause, which would allow the league to unilaterally stop paying players. But former NFL legal counsel Jodi Balsam, now a professor at Brooklyn Law School, tells SBJ that MLS could look to invoke a seldom-used piece of labor law called an economic exigency rule. “If MLS could demonstrate that there are unprecedented external events [like COVID-19] beyond an employer’s control, the employer can unilaterally, without bargaining, implement business-saving practices,” said Balsam.
  
  
• A source said the league and union could resume conversations as soon as Monday. 
  
  

SUDDEN END TO COLLEGE HOOPS CREATES WINDOW FOR G LEAGUE JUMP

• This is what the NCAA has been telling high-profile basketball recruits for several years now: If you don’t want to go to college, don’t go. At least two big-time recruits showed this week that they were listening. Jalen Green, the top recruit in the 2020 class, signed earlier this week with the NBA G League. Then, Isaiah Todd, the nation’s No. 13-ranked prospect and a former Michigan commit, followed Green by signing with the G League today. They’ll be part of a year-round developmental program.
  
  
• With March Madness canceled this year and next season’s status up in the air because of the pandemic, Green and Todd had the perfect window to try the G League, where they can make up to $500,000, SBJ’s Michael Smith writes. They’ll also have the opportunity to seek seven-figure shoe deals, a line of revenue that wouldn’t have been available to them in college, even with new name, image and likeness rules. And the G League’s commitment to player development will provide high-level coaching without being so dependent on playing a bunch of games.
  
  
• One-and-done players like Green and Todd were once considered part of college basketball’s problem. They weren’t interested in the college experience, they left before fans got to know them and their brief season of college hoops made them little more than mercenaries who were turning the college game into glorified AAU basketball. Right or wrong, that was the perception.
  
  
• College basketball will survive without Green and Todd. Some will say that they’re the ones missing out. Either way, the developing trend of top-flight recruits skipping college -- and how college basketball reacts -- will be one to watch in the coming years.

QUESTIONS REMAIN FOR MLB EVEN AFTER FAUCI BLESSING

• Now that Dr. Anthony Fauci has given a thumbs up to the return of sports in spectator-less venues -- which he added is the only scenario that would enable sports to return this summer -- SBJ's Eric Prisbell believes MLB will confront two significant questions before any decisions on a plan are made:
  
  
  • What percentage of MLBers, especially marquee players, are resistant to being quarantined in a so-called “bubble city” for a few months?
  • Are players willing to take pay cuts to offset the loss of revenue?
    
    
• It's difficult to ascertain how many players have serious reservations about the floated ideas of playing a truncated season in Arizona or Florida, undergoing regular testing for COVID-19 and being quarantined in hotels -- perhaps away from family -- for as long as a few months. But some of the game's most recognizable names are balking at the idea, and it would be difficult to proceed with the plan without buy-in from the sport's biggest draws. Mike Trout conceded that the plan has "a lot of red flags" and that being quarantined in a city would be "difficult for some guys," most notably for him because his wife is pregnant. Clayton Kershaw was more emphatic: "I'm just not going to do it."
  
  
• Former major leaguer Todd Zeile empathizes with the players who harbor concerns, telling SBJ: "There are a lot of ideas that people are trying to make come to fruition. But with every idea, there is some risk associated with it. And I don't know right now that the world is ready to take on that risk." One other note to remember: Fauci can make recommendations, but he will not have the final call on a return.
  
  
• What could make it an even tougher sell for players is the possibility of having to take a pay cut. Last month, MLB and the MLBPA agreed that players would be paid prorated salaries if they played a shortened season. When and if a legitimate re-start plan crystalizes, the next order of business will be determining what happens if the sides have differing views on that salary agreement. If the union believes the deal on prorated salaries addresses compensation in a shortened season -- fans or no fans -- but the league believes the prospect of spectator-less games justifies re-opening salary negotiations, then what?
  
  
• The salary story is just one more element to watch, in addition to all the testing, quarantine and logistical hurdles still standing in the way of a truncated 2020 season.

REPORT: AMERICANS MISS SPORTS MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT SHOWS

• Some 42% of Americans watched an average of at least one live sporting event per week, according a MarketCast report provided to SBJ that is titled: "State of Fandom: The Impact of COVID-19 on Media & Entertainment." By comparison, about one-third of the country tuned into a late-night show and/or a competition show like "The Voice" or "Survivor" each week. But it's sports they miss the most. 

Download the Survey on Sports or Entertainment

ANOTHER TUMULTUOUS WEEK FOR PRO TENNIS SCHEDULE

• The postponement of the Laver Cup capped another week of coronavirus-induced tumult in the tennis world, writes SBJ's Bret McCormick. The Roger Federer-backed tournament announced today that it was postponing its 2020 event -- slated for Sept. 25-27 at TD Garden in Boston -- until 2021. The three-year-old event became a casualty of the French Open’s controversial decision to move to an overlapping date in September. Ultimately, the Laver Cup made way for a Grand Slam, which features 224 men and women in its singles draws, and allows more players to get paid.
  
  
• “This is the responsible course of action, necessitated by the emerging calendar conflicts,” said Laver Cup chair Tony Godsick. The Laver Cup became the third event to be impacted by coronavirus this week. The Rogers Cup in Montreal (women) and Hamburg Open in Germany (men) were both canceled because of local government restrictions on big gatherings through Aug. 31. Both the WTA and ATP remain suspended until at least July 13.

ECHL CLUB STILL HIRING AMID SPORTS SHUTDOWN

• As some personnel issues continue to rattle the majority of the sports industry, the ECHL Allen Americans are in hiring mode, reports SBJ’s Mark J. Burns. Team president Mike Waddell, who previously ran the Orlando Apollos of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, said that the Double-A hockey team recently hired two sales execs and is planning searches for three to four more staffers, including a comptroller/CFO and additions to the corporate sales group. 

• Waddell has been on the job for just three weeks. He shared two ideas that have originated during the shutdown. Over the next six weeks, the team will be auctioning off Zoom video experiences with head coach/GM Steve Martinson and players, both current and past. Money will be shared with the ECHL Player Relief Fund and the Allen Public Safety Relief Fund. The second concept is an augmented reality experience with tech company Imagination Park and some of the team’s local restaurant sponsors.

• “Those initiatives came out of a very aggressive harvesting of ideas,” said Waddell.  “You never know where an idea can come from. We’re building a culture where hopefully people feel free to express themselves and take a chance."

WORKING FROM HOME WITH SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE’S PATRICK BRITZ

• The South Atlantic Conference was one of the first D-II leagues to cancel the entire spring slate of sports, and ever since that move was announced on March 12, Commissioner Patrick Britz has been tasked with trying to provide as many answers about the unknown as possible. With the Rock Hill, S.C.-based SAC’s offices effectively closed, Britz has been conducting business from his home in nearby Fort Mill while he and his wife help their three children (ages 8, 7 and 4) with remote learning. “The morning is pretty critical for them. They all have Zoom sessions with their classes … I'm usually in my office between 5:00-5:30 in the morning and try to work until 7:30.”

• While Britz’ kids use Zoom for schooling, he usually jumps on Google Hangouts for his video conferencing, whether that be with ADs and presidents across the SAC or other conference staff. Missing out on the spring championships hit home for everyone, and now the main priority is doing everything possible to get back on track this fall. But would a canceled football season hurt D-II schools as much as big Power Five stalwarts? “I don't think the overall impact is different,” Britz said. “I think the decimal points are different.”

• Britz elaborated on how smaller universities could really be impacted should the coronavirus keep everyone at home and indoors: “Not having students on campus, not having those events campus on a regular basis is a pretty big impact. … (Our schools) don’t rely on the gate and the media rights from a financial standpoint, but they rely on those tuition dollars and the money they receive from housing and meals. The principal is the same, just not the same amount of money.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey. 

Britz usually jumps on Google Hangouts for his video conferencing with ADs and university presidents

DR. FAUCI BOBBLEHEAD A HOT COMMODITY

• The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame & Museum today expects to reach the $150,000 mark in donations to support the American Hospital Association’s 100 Million Mask Challenge through the sale of two non-traditional bobbleheads, reports SBJ’s David Broughton. Since the museum began taking orders on April 9, nearly 28,000 bobbleheads honoring Dr. Anthony Fauci have been sold.
  
  
• A bobblehead of Deborah Birx, the coronavirus response coordinator for the White House task force, went on pre-sale Wednesday. The bobbleheads cost $25, with $5 from each sale earmarked for the charity. Museum co-Founder & CEO Phil Sklar said selling 1,000 is the mark of a successful campaign. Sklar: “But this blows everything else out of the water! Sister Jean(chaplain/superfan for the Loyola-Chicago men's basketball team), our previous best seller, sold about 15,000 in 15 days during the 2018 March Madness and around 18,000 overall.”

SPEED READS

• U.S. consumers have been confronted this month with empty flour shelves in the grocery stores, but concessionaires are not worried about a lack of buns for your gameday hot dogs, per SBJ's David Broughton. As one exec whose company handles food operations at dozens of sports venues told SBJ: "Food management companies tend to have a robust supply chain and vast procurement and distribution channels, so I wouldn’t envision this being an issue once sports resume and in-venue food service eventually ramps up again."

• From the good news department: Centerplate, the concessionaire for Hard Rock Stadium, is working in tandem with Miami-Dade County to deliver approximately 10,000 meals daily to senior citizens. Meals are prepared in two different sections of the stadium, with an emphasis on safety protocols. 

• Warriors Assistant GM Kirk Lacob said one positive gain from the work from home mandate has been increased accessibility to all of the team’s various departments. He told S.F.-based KNBR-AM the front office is “using every possible piece of technology that’s available,” whether it’s Slack, Zoom or RingCentral. Lacob: “I almost get to talk to people more now in different parts of the business because we have daily calls and daily meetings. In the some ways, in the long run, this will be good for everybody.” As for how the scouting department can make up for lack of in-person meetings ahead of the Draft, Lacob said, “I don’t think there is a way to replace that. … But the reality is everybody’s in the same boat.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  • Potential Of Fan-Less MLB Parks Raises More Questions On Player Pay
  • Cubs Not Part Of First MLB Blood Test, Hope To Participate In Phase II
  • Brewers Make Best Effort To Plan Ahead During Pandemic
  • PGA Tour Restart Dependent On Widespread Coronavirus Testing
  • Bettman Expected To Speak With Trudeau On Possible NHL Return
  • ATP Chair Emphasizes Importance Of Tennis Bodies Working Together
  • Sources: Roc Nation Went Through Furloughs, Pay Cuts Last Month
  • XL Center Hurting Financially, But Could Push Forward On Renovation
  • Agencies Try To Strike Right Balance For Brands, Athletes Amid Pandemic
  • Curry Foundation Helping Thousands Of Families In Oakland

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • SBJ's John Ourand is joined by ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman to discuss the network’s NFL draft plans.
  • Mark Ein, who owns an ATP/WTA event and Overwatch League team based in D.C., discusses the tennis event and the sport at large, as well as esports' growth during the shutdown.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Michael Smith discuss how college athletes and the NCAA come back on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIRTUAL WORLD CONGRESS PART 3: JOIN US APRIL 22

• Hear interviews with Sarah Hirshland, CEO, USOPC; Chris Curtin, Chief Brand & Innovation Marketing Officer, Visa; Micky Lawler, President, WTA; Allen Greene, AD, Auburn; Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer, NCAA; Erika Nardini, CEO, Barstool Sports, and more. More than 800 execs have attended the previous episodes, so take advantage of this opportunity to network with people from across the industry.
  
  
• To register, go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

President Trump’s decision to let states decide when to reopen businesses causes a variety of potentially confusing scenarios for professional leagues looking to resume or start their seasons, especially if some states reopen several weeks before others.

“You’re going to call your own shots,” were Trump’s words to governors. May 1 has been the target date, but Trump said that is flexible, meaning some states could start relaxing restrictions in the next week or two, while others could go deep into May or beyond.

The lack of federal guidelines creates more questions than answers for leagues like the NBA and MLB looking to play ball. Sports business execs aren’t optimistic for the NFL or college football either. An SBJ survey with YouGov (see below) shows that two-thirds of those polled say college football will not start on time and more than half think the NFL will be delayed.

Stay safe, everyone.

-- Michael Smith

SPORTS BUSINESS STORIES THAT STOOD OUT TO US TODAY

• In a story that bears watching for the next few months, top high school prospect Jalen Green has decided to sign with the G League rather than play a year of college basketball. Three or four other prospects, including Isaiah Todd, who recently decommitted from Michigan, are contemplating a jump straight from the prep ranks to the NBA’s developmental league. Green might have started a trend.
  
  
• More testing for the coronavirus will be essential to the PGA Tour’s return.
  
  
• Great news for NBA camera operator Kelvin Calhoun, who beat the virus after a 25-day hospital stay.
  
  

SURVEY: SPORTS EXECS DUBIOUS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL, NFL START DATES

• Two-thirds of sports business executives believe that college football will not start on time and less than half think the NFL season will begin on schedule, according to a recent survey conducted by Sports Business Journal and YouGov. The survey was made available April 10-15 to all SBJ and Sports Business Daily subscribers with the goal of gauging some of the ways the global pandemic has affected the sports industry. More than half of the 952 readers who completed the survey identified themselves as senior management. We will continue to share results in this newsletter and SBD throughout the next week as well as in Monday's edition of SBJ.
  
  

PENN STATE OFFERS VIRTUAL TAILGATE FOR CANCELED SPRING GAME

• Penn State’s Blue-White spring football game was scheduled for Saturday before it was canceled, but the Nittany Lions didn’t want their fans to totally miss out on one of the biggest events on the spring calendar, SBJ’s Michael Smith reports. After the school’s Assistant AD/Marketing Chris Grosse saw something similar on Facebook, Penn State created a virtual tailgate for Saturday that encourages fans to host their tailgating friends via video conference. Get together online, wear PSU’s traditional gameday white and set up the food and drink just like game day, except they’ll be gathering virtually rather than in-person.
  
  

• Colleges are doing their best to maintain contact with their fans and the Nittany Lions’ virtual tailgate is one of the most creative examples. Grosse: “We wanted to give our fans a little distraction, an avenue to reconnect with their friends and we just added some programming to it.” Several Nittany Lions sponsors, such as AT&T, Pepsi, Penn State Health and Pennsylvania SECU, have branding on the tailgate announcements. They are some of the school’s biggest-spending corporate partners and this event amounts to something of a make-good for all of the canceled spring events.

• As of this afternoon, 3,000 fans across more than 200 tailgates had signed up on the Penn State website. The school will produce unique content that will run on its social channels throughout the 3.5-hour event that starts at 11 am. A replay of the 2016 Penn State-Ohio State game will run on Facebook Live at 12:30 pm. The school will insert former player interviews that were taped in the last two weeks into the rerun.

• Other schools like Utah have begun to look for ways to replace their canceled events with virtual events. One of the biggest nights in Utah athletics is the “Crimson Carpet Awards,” an ESPYs-like live show to honor the Utes’ best athletic performances. That event will be held online Monday night, live on Facebook and YouTube, with AD Mark Harlan serving as the emcee from his home. Word is that he’ll be dressed in a tux as he always is for this event.

BIG 12 COMMISH: PENCE "VERY OPTIMISTIC" FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S RETURN

• Vice President Mike Pence’s 35-minute conference call with the College Football Playoff’s management council was arranged by Ari Fleischer and had been in the making since last month, SBJ’s Michael Smith reports. Fleischer has done public relations work for the CFP periodically and his contacts in the White House -- he was press secretary to former President George W. Bush from 2001-03 -- helped put Pence in contact with the group of college power brokers that included 10 FBS commissioners, CFP Exec Director Bill Hancock and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick.

• Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby described the call as upbeat. After Pence spoke for 12 minutes, some of the commissioners voiced their opinion on what it will take for college football to have a 2020 season. Bowlsby: “The vice president made the point that, from an athletic standpoint, we're only 30 days into this. In another 30 days, we may know a whole lot more than we do now. He has much bigger things to worry about than whether we're playing college sports, but he let us know the college sports environment was a very important part of our nation’s culture. He was very optimistic.”

• The commissioners from the Power 5 conferences have been talking each morning to stay abreast of the latest developments. When asked if they’re all on the same page about issues like when to start the season, Bowlsby said: “We haven't come to closure on certain aspects of what will happen in the future. ... When we put together the architecture of how programs are going to operate between now and May 31 or down the road, that’s done by collaboration. That doesn't mean that we're all necessarily in lockstep, but we're sharing a lot of information.”

• The commissioners made one other point that seemed to resonate with Pence. The decision-making process for college sports and pro sports to return will be very different. Playing in empty stadiums is more likely to generate support in the pro ranks, but not among college administrators. Bowlsby: “We were specific to draw distinctions between professional sports and college sports. We're academic institutions and our teams are comprised of students. So, we need to go about the process in a little different manner than professionals.” 

NEW PGA TOUR SUMMER SCHEDULE REVEALS OPTIMISM IN PONTE VEDRA

• The PGA Tour’s plan to resume play in June and allow fans back in July may seem too ambitious for some, but it is clear the Tour and other golf officials in the U.S. are doing everything in their power to salvage some sort of a season, per SBD’s David Rumsey. Even if a June start in Ft. Worth isn’t viable, conducting at least a few tournaments in July would give players a tune-up before the PGA Championship (Aug. 6-9 in S.F.) and the stretch that would follow over the next two months, which right now would include the FedExCup Playoffs (3 events), the U.S. Open and Ryder Cup.

• The official announcement simply gives tournament organizers across the country a blueprint for operation, should conditions allow for it. The Tour appears to believe there is no harm in creating a plan, even if it comes across as overly optimistic. No one knows what the coming months will bring, but at the very least golf could be a good testing ground for how live sports this year may look with and/or without fans.

• Two issues that remain at the forefront of golf’s return: potential mandatory testing for Tour players, and “at least 25 players and at least 35 caddies who are currently living outside the U.S. and could be impacted by international travel restrictions.”

CONNECTICUT AIR PURIFIER ADDS SPORTS VENUES TO CLIENTELE 

• Few businesses, outside of food and consumer packaged goods, can say they are having great years. However, at a time when concerns about cleanliness and disinfection has reached new levels in the consumer psyche, a Fairfield, Conn., company which purifies the air in buildings, including sports venues, is on track to have its best year ever, reports SBJ's Terry Lefton.

• AtmosAir President Steve Levine said that since mid-March, his company has sold “bipolar ionization” air purification systems to a number of N.Y.-area facilities, including the Giants' practice facility, scheduled to be installed next week. The Cowboys, who already have the system elsewhere, have inquired about installing a system at The Star. Atmos Air has already exceeded this year’s original goal and is now looking at exceeding last year’s revenue by 600-700%. As an “essential business,’’ AtmosAir can still do installations.

• “Every venue operator is asking ‘how are we going to make people feel safe now?'’’ Levine said. “Nothing is 100 percent, but what we have (to) offer is continuous disinfection, so we have more people calling than ever.’’ 

DEEP SPORTS TIES MAKE UP PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ECONOMIC REVIVAL GROUP

• President Trump this week announced the formation of the Great American Economic Revival industry groups, a bipartisan group of leaders from 17 different industries who “will work together with the White House to chart the path forward.” In addition to the commissioners and other leaders that make up the 16-person sports group, several in other categories have a sports connection.

• Micky Arison (Carnival) - Heat owner
• Bill Ford (Ford Motor Co.) - Lions vice chairman
• John Malone (Liberty Media) – Liberty owns the Braves and six of the club’s minor league affiliates; Formula One; SiriusXM
• Todd Ricketts (TD Ameritrade) - Cubs & Wrigley Field co-owner
• Brian Roberts (Comcast) – Comcast owns the Flyers; Wells Fargo Center; NBC Universal; Spectra
• Stephen Ross (Related Companies) -- Dolphins owner and developer of Related Santa Clara
• Fred Smith (FedEx) - Grizzlies & Redskins minority owner 

• Both the N.Y. Times and Washington Post went behind-the-scenes of Trump's calls with industry leaders, which by many accounts "got off to a rocky start." 

WORKING FROM HOME WITH JAGUARS EXEC MEGHA PAREKH

• Jaguars Senior VP & Chief Legal Officer Megha Parekh typically used her 25-minute drive to the team’s offices at TIAA Bank Field to practice a few vocal exercises, but the music enthusiast now uses an app to take at-home singing lessons from her Jacksonville condo each morning. Parekh and her houseguest, who has been staying with her during quarantine, then generally get an 8:30am workout in before their workdays start in earnest.
  
  
• Parekh has been communicating with the rest of the Jaguars organization via Microsoft Teams, with the back-and-forth staying alive all day long. “We’re hosting stress management courses presented by our team clinician, virtual bootcamp with a member of our strength and conditioning team and a weekly yoga class led by a member of our sponsorship team, who is also a certified yoga instructor,” she noted.  Weekly all-team meetings include a featured speaker, Parekh said, and staff has been able to pose questions to Jaguars President Mark Lamping, coach Doug Marrone, GM Dave Caldwell and team physicians.

• Reaching her goal of being out of pajamas or workout clothes before 3:00pm has not been accomplished every day, Parekh admitted. “What matters is that I’m there for my colleagues and finding time to care for myself when I can,” she said. “I’ll learn how to adapt back to office life when I need to.”

• Parekh has enjoyed taking short breaks during the day to play guitar or video games, and the fact that she’s “crushing laundry right now.” For the past month, Parekh and three friends in adjacent apartments have essentially been quarantining together and have gotten used to some “family dinners.” Parekh: “A typical weeknight used to be cooking for one as quickly as possible. Now I make the vegetable dish, my neighbor makes the protein dish, and we come together for about an hour each evening to try to debate and solve the world’s problems.”

• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey. 

Parekh throughout the work day takes short breaks to play guitar or video games

USTA CEO DETAILS RELIEF FUND TIMELINE

• USTA CEO Michael Dowse, who started his new role on Jan. 1, spoke to reporters Thursday to further explain what amounts to a $50 million total investment the governing body is pouring into American tennis amid the financial fallout of the pandemic. By March 23, when the USTA surveyed the tennis industry to assess the early financial damage, 85% of American tennis clubs had already closed.

• The USTA identified more than $20 million in in-house savings by instituting salary reductions for management and eliminating programs in marketing, player development and operations. Dowse explained that some of the player development cuts stemmed from tennis events that haven’t happened because of the pandemic, and that marketing dollars were cut from the consumer-facing side of the organization. Beyond the $20 million in savings, the financial performance of the 2020 U.S. Open would determine the extent of the USTA’s financial support to grassroots tennis.
  
  

• Dowse intimated that the USTA will also contribute to the funding of a possible financial package for lower-ranked pro players. Dowse said that the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams and ITF were working together on the issue, and that there were calls scheduled in the coming days. See today’s Morning Buzz for the breakdown of the USTA’s relief funds.

SPEED READS

• Roger Goodell this week ahead of the virtual NFL Draft has fielded calls from the CEOs of league partners such as Verizon and Amazon Web Services asking some form of the same question: “How can we help?” The Wall Street Journal reports the league has sent video kits "with camera phones, light stands and microphones to 58 prospects, plus coaches and general managers and said: get ready to film yourself." Goodell will announce picks from his "man-cave" basement, as fans will miss out on the chance to "ritualistically boo" the commissioner. Goodell: "I’ll miss that."

• Yahoo Sports' Keith Smith writes under the header, "Why Walt Disney World would be the ideal spot for the NBA to salvage its season." Factors that favor Disney's 39 square-mile property near Orlando include an "abundance of hotel rooms," broadcasting capabilities from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex andseveral existing venues that can be transformed into basketball facilities. Smith also notes the "mutual admiration" between Adam Silver and Bob Iger. Their relationship "could be a key component to making this work."

• Washington State AD Pat Chun, who took a 5% pay cut earlier this week, is trying to keep the athletic department above water as he navigates the moving target for sports’ return. He told the Portland Oregonian’s John Canzano, “The good thing is we’ve paused everything. At least in terms of cost-certainty, no one’s out on the road recruiting. No teams are traveling. … The rest of it is a test of where your organization is culturally and what are we willing to do when things are uncomfortable, because that’s ultimately where we’re going to have to keep going.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • From L.A. To N.Y., Large Gatherings Unlikely To Occur Anytime Soon
  • NFL Discussing Playing Games In Empty Or Partially-Filled Stadiums
  • Manfred: MLB Doing Whatever It Takes To Play Once Go-Ahead Given
  • Sounders Owner: MLS Clubs Could Lose Billions Due To Coronavirus
  • Bettman Says NHL Likely Will Be Playing Games Into Summer Months
  • Canucks COO Seeks To Keep Brand "Viable And Visible" During Hiatus
  • Arum, Top Rank To Focus On Staging Small Cards Without Fans
  • New Jersey Sports Betting Revenue Plunges Due To Pandemic
  • Cuban Glad To Serve On Trump Council Despite Past Criticism
  • Red Sox Foundation Launches Fund To Help Fight Food Insecurity

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • SBJ's John Ourand is joined by ESPN VP/Production Seth Markman to discuss the network’s NFL draft plans.
  • Mark Ein, who owns an ATP/WTA event and Overwatch League team based in D.C., discusses the tennis event and the sport at large, as well as esports' growth during the shutdown.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Michael Smith discuss how college athletes and the NCAA come back on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Nielsen Sports' Jon Stainer discusses data explaining how consumers are spending their time and perceiving brands/teams during these trying times.

VIRTUAL WORLD CONGRESS PART 3: JOIN US APRIL 22

• Hear interviews with Sarah Hirshland, CEO, USOPC; Chris Curtin, Chief Brand & Innovation Marketing Officer, Visa; Micky Lawler, President, WTA; Allen Greene, AD, Auburn; Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer, NCAA; Erika Nardini, CEO, Barstool Sports, and more. More than 800 execs have attended the previous episodes, so take advantage of this opportunity to network with people from across the industry.
  
  
• To register, go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.

First the good news: It’s looking likely that sports will return this summer, according to comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases and a member of the president's coronavirus task force, on Snapchat.

The bad news: It’s looking likely that sports will be played in empty venues for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Fauci’s exact quote is that sports can return if “nobody comes to the stadium." Fauci: "Put [the players] in big hotels wherever you want to play and keep them very well surveilled. ... Have them tested every single week.”

This return to normalcy is going to take a little while.

Stay safe, everyone.

-- John Ourand

SPORTS BUSINESS STORIES THAT STOOD OUT TO US TODAY

• In a 30-minute conference call with VP Mike Pence, some of the most influential execs in college sports said they would not have games if students are not allowed back on campus. The quote that stood out to me from this CBS Sports clip came from Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby: “Our players are students. If we’re not in college, we’re not having contests.”
  
  
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom threw cold water on the idea that his state would host games with fans this year. Newsom: “The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to herd immunity and we get to a vaccine.”
  
  
• WWE announced staff layoffs, furloughs and salary cuts as it battles the pandemic. This Bloomberg News story offers a good recap.
  
  
• PGA Tour officials are expected to announce this week their intention to resume the season on June 11-15 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, multiple sources told Golf Digest.
  

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF MAJOR SPORTS OUTFITS?

• The ever-changing nature of the coronavirus pandemic has made any scheduled dates for sports returning to action a continually moving target, writes SBJ's Bret McCormick. There are 11 leagues suspended indefinitely. Four are suspended until May and three until June, while pro tennis is currently stopped the longest, on pause until July 12.
  
  
• Listed below is a snapshot of some major sports leagues/organizations and where they currently stand with regard to the resumption of play.

Download the State of Leagues

GATORADE SHIFTS MARKETING PLANS FOR BASKETBALL AWARD

• The Gatorade Player of the Year awards for high school basketball are typically rolled out at this time of year, but for the high-profile boys honor, the pandemic forced the brand to shift its typical in-person presentation to a social media rollout. While the girl’s award (won by Paige Bueckers) was done in person weeks ago, Gatorade marketing exec Amanda Turak tells SBJ’s Austin Karp that once quarantine became more of the norm around the country in the third week in March, the brand and its partner, Paragon Marketing Group, began planning for a virtual surprise to highlight the boy’s award.
  
  
• Fast forward to yesterday and two brand ambassadors -- Celtics F Jayson Tatum and future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade -- used their personal Twitter feeds to announce Emoni Bates as the 2020 winner. Tatum, also a former Gatorade player of the year, did a FaceTime chat with Bates. Content was then rolled out on other platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Bates’ father also sent the brand a cell video showing his son’s surprise reaction when talking with Tatum. Turak said of using Tatum: “We’ve used him previously, and it’s so great because he has so many ties to the program. Just being able to have a former POY give another POY the award -- it means a lot.”
  
  
• Gatorade normally would be making plans for awards later this spring around sports like baseball/softball and track & field, but Turak tells SBJ the brand is “still assessing everything” given the fact that most spring sports have been canceled.

TASTE OF TENNIS AMONG ANCILLARY EVENTS IMPACTED BY SHUTDOWN

• AYS Sports Marketing runs the event series Citi Taste of Tennis, in which prominent chefs cook with pro players in front of a paying audience. The events coincide with tournaments in a number of international locales and have been hit by the ATP and WTA suspensions of play. Taste of Tennis events in Indian Wells and Miami were canceled in March and the status of others surrounding the Citi Open (D.C.) and U.S. Open later this year is also uncertain, AYS CEO Penny Lerner told SBJ’s Bret McCormick.
  
  
• The impact on Lerner’s 25-year-old business included complete refunds for all tickets purchased so far in 2020. “It’s expensive, I would say mind-blowing,” she said. Taste of Tennis’ title sponsorship deal with Citi is almost a decade old, but it’s not yet clear what impact the canceled events could have on the sponsorship. Lerner said conversations were “ongoing.” She added: "We are OK today.” AYS has already renegotiated contracts with other vendors.
  
  
• So far, Lerner hasn’t enacted cost-cutting measures on the Philadelphia-based business that she runs with her mother, Judi. They’ve kept on their five full-time employees, as well as an intern. Lerner has applied for several financial relief programs, she said, including the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program.
  
  
• AYS has maintained three separate revenue streams for about eight years and the company is leaning on one of them right now, its consulting business, while the live event and travel agency businesses sit dormant. They’ve used the Taste of Tennis’ social media accounts for a new series called #WhatsInUrKitchen where they show live cooking demos with chefs and tennis pros. I'm really blessed that we have those three streams and that is what will take us through this mayhem, this dip,” said Lerner.

WORKING FROM HOME WITH WEST VIRGINIA'S KELI ZINN

• West Virginia Deputy AD Keli Zinn has had no problem transitioning to working remotely, turning what had previously been a night/weekend office into a full-time workstation at her home about 20 miles from the Morgantown campus. Zinn is the Mountaineers' lead for communications on COVID-19, so she’s been spending plenty of time keeping messaging flowing internally and externally. While work certainly hasn’t slowed down, Zinn has taken advantage of the flexibility and casualness of being at home. “I haven’t worn a pair of heels in a month and make-up is optional -- there’s some upside to that,” she quipped.
  
  
• Zoom and Microsoft Teams are the most-popular services for the WVU staff, and it’s not uncommon to have 25+ people on a call. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised how effective it’s been to communicate via the technology, particularly with large groups,” Zinn said. She even believes that once normal operations resume, WVU may supplement some in-person meetings with video conferencing. Think out-of-state donors meeting virtually with coaches, administration, etc., or student-athletes utilizing the tech for more efficient schedules.
  
  
• This coming weekend would have been the Mountaineers’ spring football game, and Zinn is admittedly missing the action on the gridiron. “It’s hard to spend a month not seeing the guys on a practice field and gearing up for the season,” she said. But while players can’t congregate, a $40 million renovation of the school’s football facilities has pressed forward, with the bulk of that construction team able to continue working, Zinn said. “I spend quite a bit of time making sure that’s progressing as smoothly as possible and responding to the challenges that exist,” she noted.
  
  
• Quarantine has certainly taught Zinn, an SBJ "Forty Under 40" honoree last year, some valuable life lessons, like the fact that organic milk lasts a lot longer than regular milk and tastes the same, in her opinion. More tips: “There is no banana bread recipe that can compete with Bob Evans. … Cutting your husband’s hair is like a motto in life -- Go high! Don’t ever go too low because you can’t recover quickly from that.” One final thought: “Always have excess toilet paper. It won’t expire, you can store it anywhere, and someday, it will absolutely be needed.”
  
  
• Want to share what your work-from-home setup is like? Reach out to SBJ's David Rumsey. 

Zinn has been acting as WVU's communications point person on COVID-19

SURVEY FINDS SPORTS BETTORS STILL SEEKING WAYS TO WAGER

• WHY Group and Scout 360 -- both under the Horizon Media banner -- conducted a survey within the Finger on the Pulse panel with 1,067 U.S. adults from March 25-30 to see how the habits of sports bettors changed since the COVID-19 outbreak. Around 806 of the respondents claimed to be a sports fan. SBJ's David Broughton noted some key findings:
  
  • 40% of sports fans and one-third of all people saying they’ve at least dabbled in sports betting prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
    
    
  • 45% of sports bettors (20% of sports fans overall) say they are still wagering on sports. How? On classic and simulated games/events. For example, nearly $3.3 million was wagered earlier this month on the U.K.’s Virtual Grand National, a simulated production of the Grand National Steeplechase that was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
    
    
  • Nearly 40% of fans say they are making more “random” bets with friends and family, like "Will the store have toilet paper?" or, of course, the latest coronavirus figures.

SPEED READS

• SBJ's David Broughton notes that during a youth sports-focused webinar hosted today by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, the organization's top exec, Tom Farrey, said that participation will almost certainly take a big hit. He noted that children ages 6-12 who were “regularly” participating in a team sport dropped from 45% in 2008 to 38% in 2014 and has remained flat ever since. "We could see another drop not just from a recession, like in 2008, but from a safety standpoint because of the coronavirus. I think it will absolutely have a bite on the travel teams.”
  
  

• Does the current landscape change the new MLS CBA? That was a question posed by ESPN’s Taylor Twellman to Commissioner Don Garber this afternoon on the digital show “Banter.” Garber responded by briefly saying the league has initiated that specific conversation with the MLSPA, writes SBJ's Mark J. Burns. Garber: “We're going to have to sit down with our players and start discussing with them ways in which they might be able to help as we manage through the economic impact of the crisis.” In other words, might the players be asked to possibly take a pay cut? The if and how to that hypothetical remains to be seen at this point. According to Garber, no “firm proposal” is currently in front of the union, which is led by Executive Director Bob Foose.
  
  

• Short form video service Quibi saw 1.7 million downloads in its first week, a number that outperformed internal forecasts, per founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. While that number pleased leaders of the service, it paled in comparison to the launch of Disney+, which tallied 3.2 million app downloads on its launch day alone. Katzenberg pushed back on that comparison on the “Recode Decode” podcast. “I know people keeping saying, ‘well, how about Disney?’ No no no. … They’re in a different business, they have the greatest library in the history of mankind. To even be put in the same sentence with Disney is flattering, but we’re in a different world.”
  
  

• Summer camps are a source of revenue for many college athletic departments every summer, and the pandemic is going to throw a wrench into many of those programs. The Lansing State Journal noted Michigan State athletics on April 3 canceled its summer sports gatherings, which normally see “6,000 to 8,000 people come to East Lansing for about 60 different athletic camps.” The Wisconsin State Journal noted the Badgers have canceled summer programs, and an “audit of the athletic department’s finances in 2018-19 showed that sports camps produced $3.2 million in revenue with $1.3 million in expenses,” and the 2019-20 budget “projected $2.75 million from camp revenue.”

• NFL teams are preparing for a potential “rush of players” for the June supplemental draft amid the uncertainty of a 2020-21 college football season, per Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. Terez Paylor, alongside Robinson on the “Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast,” argued that returning seniors will have several factors to weigh in their decision-making process. “It depends totally on where you’re at and how much help you need -- whether you need to provide for your family. Desperate times call for desperate measures. While the supplemental draft isn’t ideal for many prospects for many reasons, this is a different kind of time.”

• The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis said the talent pay cuts at ESPN are the “ultimate sign” that the pandemic is “going to affect everybody” in and around sports media. Curtis: “It’s not just your local newspaper that was already strapped before the pandemic began. It’s not just a website like FanGraphs. It’s the mother ship. … That’s a big deal when it gets to ESPN. I’m also fascinated about how, whatever cuts may come after this, will change the way ESPN looks when and if this pandemic is ever behind us.”

NEWS YOU NEED FROM SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY

• During this crisis impacting the sports business, we want everyone to be up-to-date on the latest news and information. SBD's "Coronavirus & Sports" section is free, outside the paywall, for the foreseeable future. Below are today's headlines:
  
  
  • Rubin Raising COVID-19 Relief Funds Through All In Challenge
  • Newsom: Fans Shouldn't Plan On Going To Games Anytime Soon
  • Dr. Fauci Speculates MLB Could Start Up In July In Empty Venues
  • MLB Providing Key Participation In Nationwide COVID Antibody Study
  • MLB, MLBPA Still Working To Determine Viability Of Arizona Plan
  • Team Execs Optimistic NHL Can, Will Finish Season
  • NBPA President Chris Paul: Season Resumption Is Waiting Game
  • Kim Pegula Details Tough Decision On Layoffs As PSE Hit Hard
  • Speedway Motorsports Laying Off 15% Of Workforce Amid Shutdown
  • Lightning's Jeff Vinik Aids Local Community During COVID-19 Crisis

SBJ UNPACKS -- WEATHERING COVID-19

• Check out the most recent editions of our "SBJ Unpacks" podcasts around COVID-19:
  
  
  • Mark Ein, who owns an ATP/WTA event and Overwatch League team based in D.C., discusses the tennis event and the sport at large, as well as esports' growth during the shutdown.
  • SBJ's Bill King & Michael Smith discuss how college athletes and the NCAA come back on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Nielsen Sports' Jon Stainer discusses data explaining how consumers are spending their time and perceiving brands/teams during these trying times.
  • As MLB eyes a potential return in Arizona, SBJ's Bill King & Eric Prisbell examine the potential and the possible pitfalls of this particular path back.

VIRTUAL WORLD CONGRESS PART 3: JOIN US APRIL 22

• Hear interviews with Sarah Hirshland, CEO, USOPC; Chris Curtin, Chief Brand & Innovation Marketing Officer, Visa; Micky Lawler, President, WTA; Allen Greene, AD, Auburn; Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer, NCAA; Erika Nardini, CEO, Barstool Sports, and more. More than 800 execs have attended the previous episodes, so take advantage of this opportunity to network with people from across the industry.
  
  
• To register, go to www.WorldCongressOfSports.com.

Something related to coronavirus and sports business catch your eye? Tell us about it. Reach out to Austin Karp (akarp@sportsbusinessjournal.com) and we'll share the best of it.