The Impact of COVID-19 on the NFL

 The Impact of COVID-19 on the NFL

Mitchell Smith

There is one thing inside the minds of all Americans as we progress through this fall season, when and how will COVID-19 slow down, and what kind of impact might it continue to have on the lives of millions? Well, that impact seems to be as severe as ever, and with even some of our favorite pastimes, like the National Football League (NFL) in jeopardy, things are beginning to get out of hand. Not only has COVID-19 taken a large stab at the revenue of the NFL through attendance at the games themselves, but internal turmoil within the league has caused issues as well. For all we know, one of the biggest sports leagues in the history of our existence could be completely shut down in the near future.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Football League was in a great position, on the slow, but steady uptrend in ratings and revenue, and things appeared to only be getting better for the league itself. 

The insurgence of social media and other technological advancements has really allowed the league to market itself through the discussions on these platforms, and the “drama” that they cause. There’s one thing for sure, professional sports gets people talking, no matter how invested they are in it. 

However, as the terribly destructive pandemic virus began taking its toll on our country and the lives of millions upon millions of people, economists started to question whether professional sports could even be played, let alone maintain their growing profitability, like the NFL had been doing. Well, after seeing what other sports leagues, like the NBA were able to do in order to continue supplying the fans with professional sports content, the NFL used creativity to procure certain methods that it would employ for the unorthodox 2020-21 season. First, the league exterminated the pre-season, lessening the number of games drastically, they also took precaution by limiting the number of fans at games, sometimes even just disbanding fans from games altogether. 

These controversial decisions, as you can imagine, left fans confused as to how they would be able to enjoy professional football games without being able to attend and receive that coveted in-person fan experience. In addition, they sent the economics of the NFL into a downward spiral, but not one that was impossible to come back from.

Compared to other professional sporting leagues and organizations, the broadcasting category of the NFL’s revenue both exceeds that of other leagues overall, but also in percentage of overall revenue. Because of this, the impact of not allowing fans to attend games is insignificant compared to other professional sporting leagues, like the NBA for example, which was still able to put on its season and postseason despite not having fans.

This isn’t the only economic impact to consider, however, as internal turmoil has also made an impact on the ratings and economic outlook for the NFL. The first NFL regular season game was one that took a stand on modern day social issues, like the BLM movements and equality within our country. Athletes from both teams stood for the national anthem and held hands to represent the union between all people, no matter who they are or what they look like. Because of the integration of these sensitive social issues, ratings on that game dropped substantially compared to previous years, and the NFL appeared to be in for an economic decline comparable to nothing else of this time period. 

So, all in all, what kind of economic impact did and does the Coronavirus have/continue to have on the NFL. Well, that economic impact is certainly severe in nature, as ratings appear to be down and the incentive for fans to indulge in one of their favorite pastimes seems to be at a point of all time low. However, I’m pleased to say that the NFL looks poised to make a comeback. Not only are they taking the necessary steps to ensure a safe circumstance for all players, coaches, and staff, but they are also doing what they can to make the experience for fans as authentic as possible, and they are doing a great job at it. Sure, the economic outlook of the NFL appeared bleak, as many things did, but I believe that the league is in a good place moving forward, and things are only looking up.

Works Cited

Beaton, Andrew. “Coronavirus Is Pushing the NFL Toward a Financial Cliff.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 24 July 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-is-pushing-the-nfl-toward-a-financial-cliff-11595592000.

Burrow, Gwen. “The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on US Sports.” Emsi, 20 July 2020, www.economicmodeling.com/2020/05/28/the-economic-impact-of-covid-19-on-us-sports-up-to-92-6k-lost-every-minute/.

“The NFL Family Responds to the COVID-19 Crisis.” NFL Football Operations, operations.nfl.com/football-ops/economic-social-impact/the-nfl-family-responds-to-the-covid-19-crisis/.

Wilner | AP, Barry. “NFL Faces Tough Times for 2020, Then Bright Economic Outlook.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 Sept. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/business/nfl-faces-tough-times-for-2020-then-bright-economic-outlook/2020/09/01/5339ab36-ec95-11ea-bd08-1b10132b458f_story.html.