Will Coronavirus Impact the Future of Pro Sports?

Obviously it is the understatement of the century to say that COVID-19's spread has had a profound impact on current life in all areas. We are left to stay home, socially isolated, and very cautiously shop at grocery stores. As a passionate follower of sports and the media world around it I have been pondering what the long sports landscape will look like following the pandemic. The immediate afternath will shape the entire future of the athletics complex as we know it. Physical attendance of entry drafts may become a thing of the past, the typical NBA start date may be in for a permanent shift and the long, meandering season of baseball may be slashed from 162 games. Starting with the NBA, the first major league to end its season in the wake of the virus, has long been looking to adjust their calendar and the opportunity will now likely exist. From potential in-season tourneys, to international expansion, to adjusting off-time the NBA has been trying to find the spots where it can reach the most fans. If the 2019-2020 season is resumed after the virus freeze, the NBA will be in the perfect position to start their next season around Christmas with its annual marathon and to stretch further into the summer with the MLB as its sole and much weaker opponent for ratings. A Christmas to July season would be the best way for the NBA to grow and expand to even more people than before. The argument for a lessser length MLB season is an easier one because once fans do not see a full 162 no one would be in favor of returning to the format that admittedly can drag. Fewer games could produce higher stakes and higher interest in America's pasttime that is often viewed as a dinosaur or stubbornly unchanging. After this April's mid-pandemic NFL Draft pretty much went off without a hitch virtually, it feels like a near-lock that physical drafts at an arena or other venue are unnecessary and likely to end. There is very little reson for the in-person drafts anymore and in a time where everyone, including these massive leagues, are losing money they could be an expense easily cut. Virtually the draft was still a culmination of amateur athletes hard-work and dedication still for both the NFL and the WNBA. These athletes still had their dreams realized and were able to share the moment with their loved ones in the safety of their own homes. While it is truly unpredictable the full impacts that the coronavirus pandemic will have on the long-term sports world, these three changes seem most likely and like the smart moves for the leagues.