The AVP said viewership for the event was double to triple of an in-season audienceGETTY IMAGES
Fresh off the conclusion of AVP's three-event return series in Long Beach, series owner Donald Sun says he mainly feels relief that the tournaments went off without a hitch. Organizers implemented extensive testing and safety protocols, resulting in zero positive COVID-19 results across the three weeks. "We didn't have much to go off of in terms of the protocols, because we were one of the first sports properties to run any events," said Sun. "It was harder than we thought in terms of trying to figure it out, since there’s no playbook." Sun declined to disclose figures for viewership on Amazon Prime, which broadcast nearly the entire event, but said that it was about double to triple the typical in-season audience. The women's final match broadcast on NBC on July 19 averaged 731,000 viewers, which also tops typical TV viewership for the series. Existing sponsors Acer, Wilson and Monster Hydro took on various entitlement rights, and AVP used the tournament series to land new sponsorships with Porsche and White Claw. Sun said that he was surprised at how quickly the spectator-free venue felt normal, and noted that similar events may become the new norm for AVP in the near future. "I can tell you that if we didn’t do this series of events that we’d be afraid to do anything going forward," said Sun. "We definitely will continue to explore the (format) that we've done. A bunch of series throughout the year, that's not out of the question for even this year. It's just a matter of timing."
