COVID-19: public opinion on the cancelation of professional sports as of March 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic that spread across the world at the beginning of 2020 was not only a big threat to public health, but also to the entire sports industry. Several professional sports leagues, including the NBA and NHL, as well as most professional soccer leagues in Europe, took the decision to postpone or suspend their seasons in order to mitigate the spread of the disease. This unprecedented move was covered extensively in the media with ramifications for both players and fans alike. In a March 2020 survey, 36 percent of respondents strongly disagreed with the sentiment that professional sports leagues were overreacting by suspending their seasons due to the pandemic.
