The challenge of determining when a return to play is possible is unique in professional tennis, as its structure poses challenges not found in most other sports leagues. In the most recent episode of the “SBJ Unpacks – Weathering COVID-19” podcast, our Bret McCormick is joined by Mark Ein, owner of the Citi Open tennis tournament and esports team Washington Justice. They discuss the Citi Open this summer and whether tennis fairs better than other sports without a live audience.
On the Citi Open’s strategy in planning for its scheduled Aug. 1-9 event:
Ein: We’re moving forward as if the event’s going to happen, and that’s our hope, exactly as planned. … Then there’s the path of, is it possible that the event gets played without fans? You see that discussion a lot in other sports and so, just being responsible, we’re evaluating if that’s a possibility and how that would work. Then there’s a hybrid which is some fans but not all the fans and that’s a different case scenario. Then there’s the one that we all dread and hope doesn’t happen which is that for some reason we can’t do it.
On the viability of tennis without fans:
Ein: The percentage of revenues that come from TV is less than in other sports. Probably a high percentage of sponsorship comes from hospitality-oriented sponsors, sponsors who are doing it less for the visibility on the various TV platforms but more for the hospitality. We have more revenues that are vulnerable to that. That said, it’s potentially possible. It would have to take some concessions amongst a lot of people, but at some point something is better than nothing.
On concerns that people will be slow to return to stadiums even after an all-clear from officials:
Ein: For sure there’s going to be a set of people who are going to be wary about going into groups of people. … The flip side is that I also think a lot people really want to get back. They want to get out of their house. They want to get back to some sense of normalcy. They want to get back with other people, and I think for us to provide that opportunity, and especially for our community, to come back together assuming it’s safe … there’s a huge desire among everyone to come back together.
