Herrick Exec Chair Irwin Kishner said the coronavirus pandemic is so different from other crises he has seen as a sports attorney because “there's so much inherent uncertainty.” Kishner, speaking yesterday at the CAA World Congress Comes To You virtual conference, said, “This one is just evolving on a moment-to-moment basis. Yes, this too shall absolutely pass. There's no question about it. The more significant question is when, how and when can we get back to normal?” When sports do return, Kishner believes they will at first be in fan-less arenas, which “will create a lot of hype.” He said, “I think you'll even get a more prominent audience and sense of numbers because people are going to want more, they’re so hungry for their consumption of sports.” Kishner also believes this situation could lead to the proliferation of more VR sporting events, which would be a “much safer environment” given the circumstances. Meanwhile, Kishner predicted we will see a “social shift in how people conduct business” even after work-from-home mandates are lifted and things can return to normal.
