Pro sports won’t be the same this year. That’s something that MLB is having to wrestle with in a big way right now. And the NFL is next.
Revenue is being lost in a big way already. And with the expectation that fans may have to either not attend games or attend them in smaller numbers due to COVID-19, the leagues are expecting significant financial hits.
NFL and NFLPA could be on a head-on collision course over lost revenue?
Discussing the state of events in sports, ESPN’s Dan Graziano shared a sobering message Thursday morning. MLB and its union are currently embroiled in a contentious negotiating period centered around what players would be paid if the season were to start again. It’s really ugly at this point.
To that point, Graziano wrote that, “NFL fans should be paying attention to what’s happening in baseball, because something similar is almost certain to happen in the NFL.”
He expanded on this, noting that “Owners are expecting a difficult conversation with the NFLPA at some point about lost 2020 revenue and what the owners call ‘sharing the pain.'”
Yikes. That does not sound pleasant.
How much money does the NFL stand to lose?
This issue has been talked about quite a bit lately. One report recently indicated that the NFL could lose upwards of $3.2 billion in revenue if games are played without fans in the stands.
Could this actually happen? Based on what’s happened with the KBO lately, you bet it can.
The NFL is planning to have fans in the stands. But it’s been planning for a normal season all offseason. The science will be what dictates whether that’s a realistic plan or if the league has to make an adjustment.
All that to say that the NFL, like every other pro league in the world right now, could lose billions this season.
NFLPA has already thrown down the gauntlet
Earlier this week a report emerged indicating that NFL minicamps could take place this June. The league has paved the way for team facilities to open up. Even better, states like California, New York and New Jersey have begun the process of getting pro sports back.
However, NFLPA President JC Tretter, responding to the rumor of minicamps, shut it down hard. He made it clear that the players union has not in any way agreed to a reopening plan.
With that in mind, what Graziano reported about a “difficult conversation” needing to take place looms large.