As soccer in Germany restarted on May 16, with empty stadiums and more leagues are getting ready to follow, it’s good to start asking ourselves when fans will come back.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant’s agent Rich Kleiman expects it to take at least a year before fans are back at games.

That’s a bearish timeline that nonetheless may prove realistic, depending on how comfortable sports fans feel about being close to strangers before a coronavirus vaccine is widely available.

Exclusive SportHiatus.com Coverage

The first of the Big 5 European Soccer League starts again on May 16 in Germany and the sports industry is watching. Other leagues in Europe are bound to restart too in the next month.
Sporthiatus.com will follow the evolution of this milestone throughout the weekend. Stay tuned.

Sport Hiatus Exclusive Take:

Axios Sports’ Kendall Baker dives into the transition to the “New Normal” (or as we like to call it, “The Next Normal” or “The Current Normal”) of sports and how they will move from our current the No Sports Era through to the No Fans Era first. Many key stats and highlights included.

“TaylorMade Driving Relief will be a celebration of human resilience, recognizing the continued efforts of health workers around the world through the power of sport. In addition to the partnerships between the players and their respective charities, Discovery Golf has worked with broadcasters across the globe to ensure the match be made available to as many fans as possible.”

- Alex Kaplan, President and GM of Discovery Golf

Sport Hiatus Exclusive Take:

“So smart...I’m in! ESPN to keep the momentum created by #TheLastDance. During the Disney’s earnings call, they announced three new #30for30 films. Documentaries on Lance Armstrong, Bruce Lee, and Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa will air immediately following the conclusion of Air Jordan’s moment in the spotlight”

- Jeff Volk (@javolk) [Post]

An exclusive conversation with Mark Parkman, GM of the Olympic Channel, on how his team is using its content library and athlete access to stay relevant and grow its brand in this unprecedented time.

By Dane Rogers, Sport Hiatus contributor

Longtime media consultants Ed Dresser and John Kosner break down the effect the sport hiatus is having on the net value of sports rights and how those changes will affect the major networks, players, fans and advertisers - and what this may mean for the major tech companies

The NHL is creating its own, original content featuring current and former players to fill the void in live games

Sport Hiatus Exclusive Take: We all need to be aware of the impact that sponsors, advertisers, and agencies have on the media rights business. Audiences are changing their viewing patterns during the quarantine, and smart brands should be taking note. This is not the time to buy media in the same old way that we all learned pre-COVID.

SportHiatus.com take: The impact of the Sport Hiatus is becoming deeper as sports re-imagine the structure of their competition, in some cases in directions that were under discussion for quite a while but missed the momentum to take action. We predict that more sports will use this occasion to apply changes that were lingering for a while, in different areas.

Major League Baseball owners are expected to ask players Tuesday to agree to a regular season that would cover about 80 games.

By Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times

After successfully broadcasting an NBA game over AT&T’s 5G network last year, Jesse Redniss’ Innovation Lab team is toying with ideas for “democratized broadcasts” - where directors could cut to pre-cleared fans with 5G-enabled smartphones

A comprehensive report from Advanced Television on the impacts of the current situation on the AR/VR industry.

Covid-19 is impacting the lives of billions. Early-stage technology markets such as virtual and augmented reality are trivial by comparison. However, AR/VR companies are dealing with knock-on effects both positive and negative.

Exclusive Feature by CAA Sports Executive Search

Episode 5 In a climate in which so many industries are experiencing economic hardship, esports is booming like never before. What is behind this growth, and what opportunities might be available to those looking to break into the market?

Our partner snavie.com has created a worldwide map infographics that shows the state of football (soccer) first divisions, updated as of May 8.

By Joe DePaolo, New York Times

It comes as no surprise to its ardent followers that the Ultimate Fighting Championship, known as U.F.C., will be the first organization to stage a major professional sports event in the United States since the spread of Covid-19 induced a monthslong live sports hiatus. Its brash president, Dana White, never wanted to cease operations in the first place.

Great insights from the most popular F1 driver and how he is living this sport hiatus, when and how it will resume racing, and what it means to him.

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that racing without fans in attendance will leave him feeling "empty" - but says Formula 1's enforced hiatus has given him even more motivation to perform once the sport returns.

By Matt Morlidge, Sky Sports

Exclusive Feature for SportHiatus.com by: Jeff Volk

During this unprecedented window, with the Coronavirus creating so much fear and uncertainty in our lives, I miss the ability to sit down and learn from my friend, David J. Stern.

By Joe Favorito (Follow him on Twitter @joefav)

We recently wrote about some of the opportunities that will arise out of this challenging time, from new lines of sales to reimagined jobs, but it was a piece on ESPN.com, along with several other social posts to remind us of things we have had a chance to revisit, to (figuratively) embrace, and to help us realize how much we as social animals, and how much we value the interaction and the gatherings big and small that help make us whole.

The Washington Capitals and Utah Jazz have both adapted player-led podcasts as a part of their digital strategies to maintain the strong connection between two of a sports team’s most valuable assets: their fans and their players.

SportHiatus.com view: Even if it may not be for all fans enhanced experiences are here to stay and grow as the tech and experience design evolve. Adoption will depend on how things are presented and promoted and how well innovation will be made relatable. This is not about listening to what the fans want, it’s about showing them new things they may eventually want.

By Bruce Schoenfeld, Fast Company