By Kevin McLaughlin
Sports fans around the country have been left with little to watch during this forced hiatus. Usually, the NBA and NHL playoffs would be underway, along with the start of the MLB season. However, COVID-19 halted their seasons in mid-March. With no sports on, what are sports fans watching?
A popular documentary aired by ESPN grabbed many fans’ attention. “The Last Dance” was a 10-part documentary about NBA legend Michael Jordan, and the rest of the 1984-1997 Chicago Bulls teams. Starting on April 19th, two new episodes were shown on Sunday nights from 9-11 p.m. for five weeks (the final episode was aired on May 17). The Last Dance was a huge success for ESPN, averaging 5.6 million viewers every Sunday night, which is 62% higher than the next-closest documentary to debut on ESPN, according to CNN. The documentary was also a game changer for sports fans, giving them two hours a week to watch what they love. The early ratings for the series average 4.9/5 stars.
Sports channels such as ESPN, FOX Sports, YES Network, and SNY are turning to old games in order to entertain fans. Typically, classic games are shown at night such as the 2011 World Series on ESPN Tuesday night. In addition to the classic contests, ESPN has aired some live sports that have continued in modified settings (such as axe throwing and cornhole) and the Korean baseball league or KBO, which airs at 5:30 a.m. and is rebroadcast at 2 p.m. Last weekend, Fox Sports began broadcasting the German soccer league, Bundesliga, which has also restarted their season, playing in empty stadiums.
Bracket tournaments have also been a way to entertain sports fans. The official team accounts on Instagram and Twitter have been running tournaments such as favorite all time jersey, best playoff moment, etc. This is a great way for sports teams to engage with fans and get their minds off of coronavirus and back to the thing they love.
Both the NBA and MLB are eyeing returns to the court and field in July, with the NFL season right around the corner in September. While it is unlikely that fans will be in attendance, it is a way back to reality for millions across the country.
