The Governor of New York State raised the possibility of allowing sporting events to be held again on Sunday, but behind closed doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. "We want to allow the sport to restart, so that people have an activity to watch on television," said Andrew Cuomo at his daily press conference.
"What sports can work without an audience?" , he asked himself. "What sports can be economically viable without having to sell seats in their stadiums or halls?" All leagues and sports championships, whether professional or amateur, have been stopped in the United States since mid-March, with very few exceptions.
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World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the primary organizer of wrestling matches, has been licensed to operate in Florida. Several American racetracks, notably in Florida, also continue to organize races, without an audience. None of the major sporting championships in the United States has yet announced a date for a resumption.
“It's not my job. I don't know the financial data, ” warned Andrew Cuomo. But if a league can be profitable without box office receipts while generating income from broadcasting rights, "the premise is no longer the same".
"Be creative"
“Be creative. Try to find a solution, ” he urged, explaining that he had met with sports leaders. "If the players can earn more than staying at home and the owners (of clubs) can make turnover rather than nothing, why not?" said the governor. "I would like to see that."
According to Andrew Zimbalist, professor of sports economics at Smith College in Massachusetts, each major American league derives at least 40% of its revenues from ticket sales. But in the case of all other leagues and leagues in the United States, sales from box office revenues are significantly higher because revenues from broadcast rights are significantly lower.