Mar 25, 2020 - Sports

Poll: 41% of adults back shortened sports seasons

Kendall Baker
Data: CivicScience; Map: Axios Visuals

41% of U.S. adults think the NBA, NHL and other leagues should play a shortened schedule when their seasons resume, according to the latest survey from CivicScience.

By the numbers: 25% of U.S. adults are in favor of canceling the seasons altogether, while 19% would support playing out the full slate of games — something that feels less likely by the day and would be virtually impossible for outdoor sports like baseball.

Go deeper: Where the advertising dollars go when coronavirus cancels sports

Go deeper

Kendall Baker

How the coronavirus-driven sports outage impacts TV and advertising

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Without live sports for the foreseeable future, it's unclear what networks like ESPN and FS1 will broadcast in those time slots or what they'll talk about on their studio shows and radio programs during the day.

Why it matters: With so many Americans nesting at home, linear TV viewership was expected to spike. But without sports, streaming platforms, video games and other mediums will likely be the big winners instead.

Go deeperArrowMar 13, 2020 - Sports
Ursula Perano

New Orleans Saints' head coach Sean Payton tests positive for coronavirus

The New Orleans Saints' head coach Sean Payton. Photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

The New Orleans Saints' head coach Sean Payton announced on Thursday that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, ESPN reports.

Why it matters: Payton is the first known figure in the National Football League (NFL) to test positive for COVID-19. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has been hit by the virus, with multiple players testing positive.

Go deeperArrowMar 19, 2020 - Sports
Kendall Baker

Mark Cuban predicts social media explosion from bored athletes

Mark Cuban reacts to a call as the Mavericks play the Portland Trail Blazers in Dallas in January. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Dallas Mavericks owner and "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban, who quickly announced that he'd pay workers "as if the games happened" during the NBA shutdown, spoke with Axios by email yesterday.

The big picture: The cancellation of sports due to the coronavirus — the NBA, March Madness, MLB spring training and more — is what has hit some Americans the hardest, serving as a reality check as to just how serious this situation is.

Go deeperArrowMar 15, 2020 - Sports